9 Best SEO Content Writing Tools We Like in 2026

Finding an SEO Writing Tool is easy. But it’s a lot more challenging to find one that fits how you work. 

In this guide, I share nine SEO writing tools I’ve personally tested. I explain what each tool does best, and where it falls short. Some are better for drafting, others for optimization or editing, and a few can handle more than one stage of the process.

If you’re new to content writing or are trying to streamline your workflow, this list will help you choose the right option.

1. Content Toolkit

Pricing: Seven-day free trial. Paid plan is $60/month.

The Semrush Content Toolkit is an all-in-one AI content creation suite that helps with finding ideas, creating briefs, generating drafts, and even publishing directly to WordPress. 

With the Content Toolkit, AI drastically speeds up production. But you can also intervene as much as you need to make sure every piece is polished to your liking. 

Finding content ideas is as simple as entering an idea into Topic Finder to get numerous subtopics you can create content around. 

Once you have an idea, Content Toolkit lets you seamlessly move from one step to the next. For example, you can send an idea to SEO Brief Generator to create a detailed outline, AI Article Generator to get a first draft, or a blank editor if you’d prefer to write from scratch.

Key features:

• Find content ideas based on real search queries and data
• Generate articles that are optimized for SEO and AI search
• Set and maintain your brand voice
• Get feedback on structure, readability, and keyword use
• Publish directly to WordPress 

What I Thought Worked Well

Keeping track of every piece of content is a lot easier with Content Toolkit than with disparate tools. 

When I was testing Content Toolkit for this article, I inevitably had to step away to work on other things. Finding my way back to a piece at the correct status was as easy as finding the topic’s corresponding board. 

I also appreciate that the brand voice feature ensures consistency across content, something I’m used to manually managing.

2. Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant

Pricing: Free plan available (limited features). Full access requires a Semrush Guru ($249.95/month) or Business plan ($499.95/month).

Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant evaluates your content for SEO, readability, tone, and originality in real time.

Plus, SEO Writing Assistant works directly inside tools like Google Docs, WordPress, and Microsoft Word.

Key features:

• Tracks keyword use, readability, tone, and any instances of plagiarism
• Rephrases complex sentences with built-in AI
• Adjusts your writing to match a target tone

What I Thought Worked Well

When testing a blog post on AI image generators, I opened the SEO Writing Assistant sidebar in Google Docs, added my target keywords, and let it analyze the draft.

SEO Writing Assistant provided real-time feedback without requiring me to leave the document.

And the suggestions were helpful. For instance, SEO Writing Assistant flagged that my draft was longer than top-ranking competitors and recommended shortening it. It also suggested adding keywords like “artificial image,” “ai generator,” and others. 

I also used the built-in AI rephraser to smooth out awkward sections and simplify long sentences. The rephrasing was quick, effective, and natural. 

Overall, the SEO Writing Assistant was a reliable final step before sending the content for the final stage of review.

3. Surfer

Pricing: Starts at $99/month. 

Surfer is a powerful SEO content optimization tool that analyzes competing pages and offers clear suggestions for keywords, headings, structure, and internal links.

As you write, Surfer provides a real-time score showing how well your content aligns with pages already ranking on Google.

It can also generate outlines and full article drafts.

Key features:

• Optimize content using real search data
• One-click internal linking suggestions
• Topic cluster builder
• AI tools to detect or humanize AI-generated text
• Collaboration features in the Content Editor
• Integrations with Google Docs, WordPress, and Jasper

What I Thought Worked Well

I tested Surfer for a blog post on digital marketing tools.

The editor provided a real-time SEO score, along with clear benchmarks, such as ideal word count, number of headings and images, and a list of keywords I was missing.

As I made edits, such as adding suggested keywords or images, the SEO score improved in real time. The live feedback made optimization feel like fine-tuning rather than guesswork.

Surfer also offers Auto Optimize. This feature scans your draft and automatically improves it by inserting relevant terms and adjusting the structure. I was skeptical, but I found Surfer kept the tone intact while improving my score.

Surfer also offers AI-powered writing features and a repurpose feature that provides quick content variations, which is useful for social media or newsletters. 

Surfer offers topic research, keyword discovery, and SERP analysis capabilities, but its Content Editor remains the standout tool for optimization.

4. Clearscope

Pricing: Starts at $129/month.

Clearscope is a content optimization tool focused on content quality, coverage, and clarity. 

You enter a target keyword and paste your draft or URL, then Clearscope analyzes your content against competing pages. It highlights the covered keywords, missing terms, and provides a real-time content grade.

Key features:

• Content Grade scoring (A+ to F)
• Keyword recommendations based on top-ranking pages
• Real-time editor for ongoing optimization 
• Integrates with Google Docs, WordPress, and MS Word

What I Thought Worked Well

While testing a blog post about on-page SEO, I thought Clearscope offered a simple workflow. 

The content grade system took a minute to adjust to, but I liked how it clearly marked keyword use in my draft. As I optimized the post, the content grade improved from B+ to A-.

Clearscope’s Outline tab provided a breakdown of top-ranking competitors’ headings, helping me structure my post. 

And the Term Map displayed how often I used suggested keywords.

You can share drafts in the Clearscope Editor with collaborators, even if they don’t have an account. 

Overall, Clearscope is a good option for helping you write clearly and update strategically.

5. Jasper

Pricing: Seven-day free trial. Plans start at $69/month (one user). 

Jasper is an AI writing platform designed for teams creating high-quality content at scale. It’s ideal for larger teams but can benefit smaller teams as well.

It comes with over 100 templates (called Apps) for blog posts, emails, ads, product copy, social media captions, and more.

Jasper stands out by combining content creation with helpful workflows. 

Key features:

• Set your brand’s voice and tone for consistency 
• Automate tasks with AI workflows
• Collaborate within Jasper Studio
• Use Jasper Chat (similar to ChatGPT) for coming up with marketing ideas and content
• Integrates with Google Docs, Sheets, Webflow, and Zapier

What I Thought Worked Well

I like Jasper for its ability to quickly produce content, whether it’s a blog intro, a landing page, or ad copy. 

I recently used Jasper to test drafting a product launch email campaign, and the turnaround was quick without sacrificing on the tone of voice. Because the brand voice feature ensured everything stayed on-brand.

Jasper’s integrations are also useful. For example, you can integrate with Surfer to optimize your content within the Jasper platform.

7. Copy.ai

Pricing: Free plan with limited words. Pricing for small teams is $29/month and limited to five seats. Enterprise pricing is custom. 

Copy.ai is a workflow builder that supports multiple AI models (GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, etc.) and is useful for teams that want to automate marketing and sales content at scale. 

The ability to switch between different AI models provides a level of flexibility that’s helpful for writing content tailored to your needs. 

Key features:

• Templates for numerous types of short-form content (emails, ads, product copy)
• AI-powered workflows for sales and marketing 
• Generates multiple versions of the same asset
• AI chat for brainstorming or on-the-fly content creation

What I Thought Worked Well

Copy.ai’s short-form templates make writing emails, ads, and social media posts faster. 

It’s ideal for times when you need to produce a lot of sales or marketing copy in a short time.

8. Wordtune

Pricing: Free plan (10 rewrites/day). Paid plans start at $13.99/month.

Wordtune is an AI writing assistant that improves clarity, fixes grammar, and rewrites awkward sentences to make your writing easier to read and more engaging.

Wordtune works directly in Google Docs, WordPress, Gmail, and other browser-based tools, offering more natural suggestions than some other tools. 

Key features:

• Rewrites clunky sentences to improve flow
• Adjusts tone and formality based on context
• Fixes grammar and punctuation in real time
• Uses autocomplete to speed up writing

What I Thought Worked Well

Wordtune is fast and intuitive to use, making it a good option for polishing awkward sentences without breaking my writing flow.

I could switch tones (casual or formal) in one click. The “Spices” feature provided useful prompts for expanding or clarifying ideas. 

9. ChatGPT

Pricing: Free plan (with limited functionality). Paid plans start at $8/month.

ChatGPT isn’t a dedicated SEO writing tool, but it’s a handy assistant for brainstorming, outlining, rewriting, and keyword grouping.

As the name suggests, ChatGPT works like a chat. You give it a prompt, and it responds based on your input. That makes it useful for coming up with content ideas, first drafts, and on-page SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and more.

Key features:

• Generates topic ideas, titles, and outlines
• Rewrites or simplifies existing content
• Groups and organizes keywords into clusters
• Reviews and improves content drafts

What I Thought Worked Well

Although I think the Content Toolkit is the best for drafts, ChatGPT is my go-to tool for editing. 

For example, I’ll paste a section of my draft and prompt it with:

“Tear this apart like an editor would. Point out anything vague, repetitive, or shallow. If something feels confusing or could be stronger, highlight it. Let me know where I’ve missed a chance to add depth or make it more useful. Read it like someone who doesn’t owe me kindness—what works, what doesn’t, and what’s just filler?”

ChatGPT provides clear feedback on vague or repetitive content, helping refine clarity and structure. 

I also use ChatGPT when I want to explore different angles or rewrite sections from a new perspective. For example, I asked it to write an alternate intro for an article about the best digital marketing tools.

And GPT-4o’s memory feature allows me to work on multiple projects without having to repeat the same information.

Choose the Right SEO Content Writing Software

The right SEO content writing tool depends on your needs. 

If you want an all-in-one platform that helps you plan, write, optimize, and publish content in one place, Semrush’s Content Toolkit is a great choice.