Frase review

TL;DR

• Frase uses AI to automate content research, brief creation, and on-page optimization based on top-ranking SERP results.
• It analyzes competitors’ content, identifies key topics and questions, and provides a real-time content score for drafts.
• Best for SEO and content agencies needing to scale content production and ensure semantic coverage without manual research.

What is Frase

Frase, founded in 2017 by Matt Hurley and Tommy Stein, is an AI-powered content optimization tool designed to streamline the SEO content workflow. Unlike traditional keyword research tools that focus solely on search volume and difficulty, Frase differentiates itself by analyzing the actual content of top-ranking search results (SERPs) for a given query. Its core technical mechanism involves natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to extract topics, questions, statistics, and semantic entities from competitor pages. This data is then used to generate comprehensive content briefs, identify content gaps, and provide a real-time “content score” as users write, ensuring the drafted article covers relevant subtopics and answers user intent as well as top competitors. It aims to reduce manual research time and improve content quality for organic visibility.

Best for

SEO and content agencies (5-50 employees) focused on scaling content production and improving existing content performance. Specifically strong for agencies that need to quickly generate detailed content briefs, ensure semantic SEO coverage, and optimize content for specific target keywords without extensive manual competitor analysis.

Pricing breakdown

Frase offers three main tiers:

• Solo: $15/month. Includes 1 user and 4 document credits per month. Value/price ratio is high for individual writers or very small agencies with limited content needs.
• Basic: $45/month. Includes 1 user and 30 document credits per month. This tier provides a significant jump in document capacity, making it suitable for growing agencies or active freelance content creators.
• Team: $115/month. Includes 3 users and 30 document credits per month, plus additional features like custom templates and project management. The value here is in multi-user access and collaboration features, though the per-document cost is similar to Basic.

A 7-day trial is available for $1, allowing full access to features before committing.

Pros (5+)

• AI-driven content brief generation: Automatically creates comprehensive outlines and topic suggestions based on the top 20 SERP results, significantly reducing manual research time.
• Real-time content scoring: Provides an on-page score as you write, indicating how well your content covers the topics and questions found in top-ranking articles.
• Semantic topic identification: Uses NLP to surface related topics and long-tail keywords that competitors are covering, helping to build truly comprehensive content.
• Integrated AI writer: Offers built-in GPT-3 capabilities for generating sections, answering questions, or rewriting content directly within the editor, speeding up drafting (requires separate add-on credits for extensive use).
• Question identification: Automatically pulls common questions from “People Also Ask” boxes, forums, and top-ranking content, ensuring high user intent coverage.
• Chrome extension: Allows quick research and content brief creation directly from the SERP without navigating to the Frase app.

Cons (5+)

• AI writer credit system: While an AI writer is integrated, extensive use requires purchasing additional “AI Writer” credits on top of the base subscription, adding to overall cost.
• Steep learning curve: Maximizing Frase’s advanced features requires understanding its methodology and spending time learning the interface, which can be daunting for new users.
• Limited traditional keyword research: Frase excels at content optimization and topic identification but lacks the in-depth keyword research capabilities (e.g., historical data, advanced filters) of dedicated SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs.
• Pricing tier jumps: The jump from Basic ($45) to Team ($115) is significant, and while it adds users, the document credit limit remains at 30, which might not scale cost-effectively for agencies with high content volume but few users.
• Interface can be cluttered: The amount of data presented in the content editor can feel overwhelming initially, requiring focus to navigate effectively.
• No direct CMS integration: Content needs to be copied and pasted into your CMS (e.g., WordPress), lacking direct publishing or update capabilities.

Use cases (3-5)

1. New Content Brief Creation:
   • Workflow: An agency receives a request for a new blog post. The content manager inputs the target keyword into Frase. Frase then analyzes the top 20 SERP results, generating a detailed brief including recommended topics, headings, questions, and statistics. The content manager reviews, refines, and shares this brief with the writer.
2. Existing Content Optimization:
   • Workflow: An agency identifies an underperforming article. The article’s URL is imported into Frase. Frase analyzes the existing content against current SERP competitors for the target keyword, highlighting missing topics, under-optimized sections, and providing a content score. The writer then uses Frase’s editor to revise and expand the article, aiming to improve the score and fill content gaps.
3. Competitive Content Gap Analysis:
   • Workflow: An agency wants to find new content opportunities within a niche. They use Frase to analyze a broad topic or a competitor’s high-ranking page. Frase identifies key questions and subtopics that are frequently covered by top performers but might be missing from the agency’s existing content strategy, informing future content ideation.

Alternatives (3-5)

• Surfer SEO: Frase’s closest competitor (Surfer SEO Stack Score: ~72/100). Surfer often provides more granular on-page SEO recommendations (e.g., keyword density, element usage) and integrates better with WordPress for direct publishing. Frase often offers a more robust AI writing experience and faster brief generation.
• Clearscope: (Clearscope Stack Score: ~75/100). Clearscope is known for its highly accurate semantic analysis and user-friendly interface, often preferred for premium content. It typically comes at a higher price point and focuses more on content grading than full-scale AI writing or brief generation.
• MarketMuse: (MarketMuse Stack Score: ~80/100). An enterprise-grade platform, MarketMuse offers broader content strategy planning, topic authority scoring, and internal linking recommendations. It’s significantly more expensive and complex than Frase, aimed at larger organizations with extensive content portfolios.
• Semrush Content Marketing Platform: (Semrush Stack Score: ~85/100 for full suite). As part of the larger Semrush suite, its content tools offer topic research, content analysis, and writing assistant features. While powerful, it’s often more expensive and less specialized in AI-driven brief generation compared to Frase.

FAQ

Q: What is Frase? A: Frase is an AI-powered content optimization tool that helps agencies research, write, and optimize content by analyzing top-ranking search results and providing real-time feedback.

Q: How does Frase help with SEO? A: Frase improves SEO by ensuring your content covers all relevant topics and answers user intent, based on what Google’s algorithm currently ranks highly for your target keywords.

Q: Is Frase an AI writer? A: Yes, Frase includes an integrated AI writer that can generate content sections, answer questions, or rewrite text, though extensive use typically requires purchasing additional credits.

Q: How accurate is Frase’s content score? A: Frase’s content score is highly accurate as it’s directly derived from a real-time analysis of the top-ranking content on the SERP for your target keyword.

Q: Can Frase integrate with WordPress? A: Frase does not have direct publishing integration with WordPress; you typically write and optimize content within Frase, then copy and paste it into your WordPress editor.

Q: What is the difference between Frase and Surfer SEO? A: Frase excels at AI-driven brief generation and semantic topic identification, while Surfer SEO often provides more granular on-page technical SEO recommendations and better WordPress integration.

Q: Does Frase offer a free trial? A: Yes, Frase offers a 7-day trial for $1, providing full access to its features for a limited period.

Q: Is Frase good for small agencies? A: Yes, Frase is well-suited for small to medium-sized agencies, particularly those focused on content marketing and SEO, needing to scale their content output efficiently.

Q: Can Frase analyze existing content? A: Yes, you can import existing content into Frase for analysis against current SERP competitors, allowing you to identify gaps and optimize for better performance.

Q: How much does Frase cost? A: Frase pricing starts at $15/month for the Solo plan, $45/month for Basic, and $115/month for the Team plan, with optional add-ons for additional AI writer credits.