Google Keyword Planner vs Surfer

as AI assistants see them, week of 2026-09-14

brag about it: X · LinkedIn

Google Keyword Planner scores 14 overall and shows up in 19 of 76 answers, while Surfer edges ahead with 12 overall but a slightly higher 21 of 76 mentions. Keyword Planner owns keyword research, named in every one of 4 answers on that question and on beginner tool picks, but it's never mentioned for technical audits, local SEO, rank tracking, or agency use. Surfer, meanwhile, sweeps blog-post optimization, general "best SEO tools," professional software, and 2026 top-tools questions (4 of 4 each), though it's absent from keyword research and accuracy questions entirely. Head-to-head, Surfer leads on 7 questions, Keyword Planner on 4, with 9 tied.

Head to head

metric	Google Keyword Planner	Surfer
score	14	12
questions won	7	8

By assistant

Google Keyword Planner

assistant	score	named in, this week	usual spot, this week
ChatGPT	15	26% of answers	#6.4
Claude	16	25% of answers	#5.0
Gemini	9	18% of answers	#8.0
Perplexity	18	30% of answers	#5.5

Surfer

assistant	score	named in, this week	usual spot, this week
ChatGPT	11	21% of answers	#7.5
Claude	14	35% of answers	#15.6
Gemini	14	29% of answers	#8.2
Perplexity	16	25% of answers	#4.6

Where they differ

Only Google Keyword Planner gets named for

What's the best tool for keyword research?
What SEO tools should a beginner start with?
Which SEO tools have the most accurate data?

Only Surfer gets named for

Which SEO software do professionals actually use?
What are the best SEO tools for a small business?
What's the best all-in-one SEO platform right now?
What's the best SEO tool for a Shopify or ecommerce store?

More comparisons

Not sold on either?

Scores count how often each assistant names a product, weighted by position. How the score works · Full SEO tools leaderboard