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SEO
10
min read
May 30, 2024

Top 8 Clearscope Alternatives

Parthi Loganathan
CEO of Letterdrop, former Product Manager on Google Search

TL;DR:

  • Clearscope is a popular SEO tool but has been on the market for a while, doesn't offer much by way of AI-assisted writing, and has become increasingly outdated.
  • Unfortunately, most of these alternatives promote keyword stuffing as a primary ranking factor.
  • Letterdrop offers a comprehensive ecosystem of SEO tools that includes optimizing for search intent, information gain, and other modern SEO best practices. It also incorporates generative AI and automated technical SEO fixes.

Clearscope is one of the most well-known content and SEO-optimization tools on the market today and was one of the first to apply NLP to SEO.

But it's been around for some time now. As the SEO landscape evolves, marketers are looking for optimization tools that help them give a more complete answer to questions and that help them write optimized content faster with generative AI.

Maybe you're wondering what new alternatives are out there and how they compare to Clearscope.

I've put together a list of its top contenders.

For each of these tools, I give a rundown of the offerings that set it apart from Clearscope to help you make your choice. I also include tables that compare their capabilities for:

  • Keyword research
  • Topical optimization
  • Technical optimization
  • Generative AI and automation capabilities



1. Letterdrop



We're putting Letterdrop forward as a more modern and full-service alternative to Clearscope that's won companies like Scribe an 11x boost to qualified traffic and paid signups from SEO.

Founded by former PMs on the Google Search team, Letterdrop is one of the first SEO assistants built to put people first, prioritizing new perspectives and search intent over keyword stuffing.

Our suite of SEO tooling can identify and auto-fix SEO issues both on-page and across your site, taking SEO off your hands.


Standout Features

In a nutshell, Letterdrop's SEO tool semantically understands your content and can:

  1. Identify Search Intent and let you know you whether the search is informational, navigational, commercial or transactional. It analyzes top pages and suggests the best format you should use to get ranking
  2. Provide a fully-fledged draft or "research dump" depending on top page information of your choice and custom instructions
  3. Suggest topics and new angles that haven't been covered yet so that you optimize for Information Gain
  4. Give you an EEAT guide specific to your content to make sure all your bases are covered.
  5. Automatically fix over 60 on-page technical SEO rules, such as internal links, keyword placement, alt text, and more
  6. Auto-fix links and publish them across your site
  7. Monitor your pages for you for necessary content refreshes, including keyword cannibalization fixes, People Also Ask questions, and more

We're not here to tell you to repeat your keyword 20 times, but to help you create content that:

a) Ranks better in the new SEO climate, especially in the wake of Google's SGE

b) Your customers actually want to read


Clearscope vs Letterdrop


Clearscope Letterdrop
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic keyword research tool that pulls data from Semrush
Technical Optimization None Advanced - automated on-page SEO fixes (over 60 SEO rules), internal linking on-page and across your site, automatic content refresh monitoring, and more
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Advanced - includes SERP topic coverage and recommendations to optimize for information gain
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Intermediate - an outline-builder that "research dumps" information from the SERP for you; built-in writing frameworks; can summarize videos and text, and more


2. Surfer SEO


After you've put in your keyword, Surfer SEO analyzes the content of top competitors out on the SERPs. Much like Clearscope, Surfer assigns an SEO score to both SERP content and your own written content on the basis of:

  • Inclusion of relevant LSP keywords
  • Word count
  • Image count
  • Page structure (headers and paragraphs)
  • Keyword density
  • Page speed
  • Backlink count and quality
  • Meta tag structure

It then produces a customizable guideline for you with real-time SEO recommendations. It covers structural tips, keyword suggestions, and topic ideas.

(We wrote a specific article on Clearscope vs Surfer SEO.)


A focused look at Clearscope vs Surfer SEO

Read more on where Clearscope and Surfer SEO differ


Key Features

Outline and Draft Builder

Surfer's outline and draft builder lets you generate headers and even full paragraphs into the editor based on your target keywords.

But remember, you can't just take this output as-is. It still demands a lot of editing from a person in order to make it actually usable.


The outline builder in Surfer
The outline builder in Surfer


Customizable SEO Targets

Surfer allows you to adjust your specific goals per article, and assigns you a score on how well you're meeting these goals. This sets it apart from Clearscope.

For example, you can adjust:

  • the competitors you want to be valued against
  • structural goals
  • topical goals by selecting the most relevant "People Also Ask" topics

You can choose SEO competitors and structural rules
You can choose SEO competitors and structural rules


It Gives You Suggestions for SEO Improvements

Surfer looks at your pages and tells you instantly how to make them better for search engines.

Here's what it does:

  • It points out other pages on your site you should link within your content
  • It spots keywords you've missed and tells you how many times to use them
  • It flags if your content is too long or short and if you need more or fewer headings
  • It checks if your keywords show up often enough in your text
  • It offers tips to make your pages load faster
  • It highlights backlinks you're missing
  • It advises if your meta tags need fixing

An SEO audit with suggestions for improvement from Surfer
An SEO audit with suggestions for improvement from Surfer



Clearscope vs Surfer SEO



Clearscope Surfer SEO
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report that you can download as a spreadsheet
Technical Optimization None Basic to intermediate - offers some technical SEO suggestions, such as meta tag structure ideas for backlink building
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Basic to intermediate - compares your content to top results on the SERP, giving you competitive keywords and topics
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Basic - AI can generate an outline. It can also summarize and expand on points


3. Frase

Frase is another smart SEO assistant that uses learning algorithms to produce actionable SEO insights based on user engagement with published web content.

Frase processes your content and compares it to the top 20 search results for your keyword. Just like Clearscope and Surfer, it awards a content score, which you can improve by bringing your page to semi-parity with top pages.

(We also have a more specific look at Frase vs Surfer SEO if you're interested.)


Key Features

AI Writing Assistant

Frase may have a similar editor and outline builder as Clearscope at first glance, but it goes a step further by allowing you to generate a complete first draft based on your keywords.

You can use its AI to:

  • Build drafts or outlines based on your instructions
  • Generate headlines and topics from competitor pages (direct-paste or AI-generated versions)
  • Generate questions from People Also Ask, Quora, and Reddit
  • Generate stats from the SERPs

It should be used as a foundation for your final article, but it kickstarts the writing process and can save some time.


Generating a draft in Frase
Generating a draft in Frase



View Top Questions from the SERPs

Frase allows you to see top questions from the SERP (including from websites like Reddit) which can help you target better topical coverage.


View and generate questions from multiple sources
View and generate questions from multiple sources



Clearscope vs Frase

Clearscope Frase
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report
Technical Optimization None None
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Intermediate - compares your content to top results on the SERP, giving you competitive keywords and topics
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Intermediate - AI can generate an outline and a first draft. It can also summarize and expand on points



4. MarketMuse

MarketMuse Home


MarketMuse makes use of AI to help you research, plan, and generate competitive content.

With it, you get an analysis of published content, covering keyword research, basic content gap analysis, and competitor insights.

We wrote a more in-depth side-by-side comparison of Clearscope versus MarketMuse, if you're interested.


A focused look at Clearscope vs MarketMuse

Read more on where Clearscope and MarketMuse differ


Key Features

Better Guidelines for SEO

MarketMuse takes its SEO suggestions a step further than Clearscope. While you still get a grade based on keyword inclusion and word count, you also get:

  • A "Related Questions" feature to help broaden topical coverage
  • Custom SEO targets
  • Suggestions for distribution
  • Projected ROI for certain topics


Internal Link Suggestions

MarketMuse offers a series of Applications you can plug into your writing, including a feature that alerts you to possible internal linking opportunities.


Internal linking suggestions in MarketMuse
Internal linking suggestions in MarketMuse



Drag-and-Drop AI Draft Builder

The tool offers a drag-and-drop, AI-powered draft builder that lets you put together your draft using outputs based on the SERPs.

You can also instruct the AI to help you expand on points, rewrite sections, and summarize sections.


AI-generated draft builder in MarketMuse
AI-generated draft builder in MarketMuse



Clearscope vs MarketMuse

Clearscope MarketMuse
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report
Technical Optimization None Intermediate - gives technical SEO recommendations, such as internal linking suggestions
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Intermediate - suggests "Related Questions" for better coverage
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Intermediate - can generate outlines and drafts. The AI can also help expand on points and summarize text


5. Content Harmony

Content Harmony Home


Content Harmony is primarily a smart SEO outline-builder and a strong competitor to Clearscope.

It offers a full workflow for content briefs, from keyword research straight through to grading your content like the other tools on this list.

Key Features

More Detailed Topical Coverage Suggestions

In addition to keyword relevance, the AI assistant suggests the following improvements to make to your content in terms of bringing it to parity with competitors:

  • Relevant sub topics
  • A compilation of frequently asked questions on the subject, compiled from People Also Ask sections, Quora answers, and other SERP features

Aggregating frequently asked questions in Content Harmony
Aggregating frequently asked questions in Content Harmony



Image and Video Analysis Included in SERP Reports

When evaluating your content against that of top pages, which includes keyword frequency and word count, Content Harmony also includes top videos and images.

This helps you better understand what kinds of media content you should be including to rank.


Visual and video content analysis when evaluating competitors
Visual and video content analysis when evaluating competitors


Brief and Outline Builder

As you write, you get structural suggestions from the Content Harmony AI to help make your briefs and outlines more competitive.

You can use the AI to write these for you.

You can create templates to standardize your content across your organization as well.

Brief and outline builder
Brief and outline builder


Clearscope vs Content Harmony

Clearscope Content Harmony
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Intermediate - offers a keyword report and search intent analysis
Technical Optimization None None
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Intermediate - suggests missing keywords and sub topics. It also aggregates questions across the SERP
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Intermediate - detailed brief and outline builder based on structural relevance



6. GrowthBar



Much like Clearscope, GrowthBar simplifies SEO by analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs) to assess how user content measures up against top-ranked pages in terms of keyword density, word count, URL structure, heading layout, and more.

Its content generator has a simple drag-and-drop content builder to help you structure outlines and drafts on the above.

Key Features

Metadata Generation

Aside from its content builder, GrowthBar has one-up on Clearscope with its metadata generator, built on ChatGPT 4.

It takes into consideration optimal word count, too.

GrowthBar can generate metadata for you
GrowthBar can generate metadata for you


More Content Generation Options

With GrowthBar, you can use AI to help you write:

  • Press releases
  • Product descriptions
  • Sales outreach emails
  • Newsletters

Product description templates in GrowthBar
Product description templates in GrowthBar


Internal Link Suggestions

As you write, GrowthBar scans your content for potential internal linking opportunities.

Much like MarketMuse, it will then offer linking suggestions.

Internal link suggestions as you write
Internal link suggestions as you write


Clearscope vs GrowthBar

Clearscope GrowthBar
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic - offers a keyword report
Technical Optimization None Basic - suggests internal linking opportunities, not much more on-page help
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Very basic - based on keyword usage alone
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Intermediate - multiple use-case templates; metadata generation


7. Dashword

Dashword Home


Like Clearscope, Dashword evaluates your content against:

  • Relevant keywords
  • Image count
  • Keyword density
  • Word count

It's perhaps one of the tools most similar to Clearscope.

It does incorporate a better AI assistant, though — it can correct grammar, rephrase sentences, and generate metadata for you.

Key Feature: Content Monitoring

Dashword integrates with Google Analytics to track your content performance overtime and highlight assets that need updating or improvement.

SEO housekeeping is a key trick to staying relevant, so this is a great feature to have.

Content monitoring in Dashword
Content monitoring in Dashword


Clearscope vs Dashword

Clearscope Dashword
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Basic - offers a keyword report
Technical Optimization None Basic - offers a content monitoring report
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Very basic - based on keyword usage alone
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None Basic - can correct grammar, expand on sentences, and generate metadata


8. Page Optimizer Pro

Page Optimizer Pro Home


Page Optimizer Pro (known colloquially as POP) compares your content to that of top results, like any other tool on this list.

Its standout feature is that it's able to alert you to recent SERP and algorithm updates.

(We wrote an article on Page Optimizer Pro versus Surfer SEO, as Surfer is one of its biggest competitors. Check it out if you're interested.)


A focused look at Page Optimizer vs Surfer

Read more on where Page Optimizer and Surfer differ


Key Features

Watchdog Alerts

POP's "Watchdog" feature keeps you informed of the latest changes in Google's algorithm and SERP adjustments.

This enables you to update your content proactively, maintaining its relevance and optimizing its performance in search results.


Better Topical Coverage Suggestions

POP supplies a detailed, actionable list for on-page optimization. It also suggests relevant topics and subtopics to expand your content's scope and relevance.


More Advanced SERP Analysis

In addition to evaluating your page's word count, keyword density, and more to reach an overall SEO score, POP also:

  • Analyzes schema structure against competitors
  • Checks basic EEAT compliance
  • Identifies Google entities categories to suggest keyword variations for improved ranking

An SEO report in Page Optimizer Pro
An SEO report in Page Optimizer Pro


Clearscope vs Page Optimizer Pro

Clearscope Page Optimizer Pro
Keyword Research Basic to intermediate - offers a keyword report Intermediate - offers keyword reports and reports on changes to the Google algorithm and SERP features
Technical Optimization None Intermediate - checks basic EEAT compliance and schema structure; offers internal link suggestions
Topical Optimization Very basic - based on keyword usage alone Basic - recommends related sub-topics
Generative AI for SEO Writing Assistance None None


Which Clearscope Alternative Is Best for Me?

You don't want to end up in a situation where you're telling your CEO that you wasted money on an SEO tool that is doing nothing for your content.

Unfortunately, Clearscope and most of its alternatives heavily emphasize keywords as a primary way to get ranking. This is untrue and promotes keyword stuffing.

An arbitrary score based on keyword density and word count won't help you create content that puts the user first and answers their search intent. This way of thinking is very outdated and could harm your SEO efforts.

Letterdrop is thinking about the future of search and how to use AI to take the SEO basics off your hands, from topical coverage to internal linking. Reach out to us to put SEO best practices on autopilot.

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