Surmado vs Doing It Manually

Quick answer: Surmado automates AI visibility testing (Signal), website audits (Scan), and strategic analysis (Solutions) that would take 8-40 hours manually. Signal ($25 or $50, 15 min) vs manual AI testing (8 hours). Scan ($25 or $50, 15-30 min) vs manual website audit (12 hours). Solutions ($50, 15-20 min) vs manual strategy research (20 hours). For agencies with 10+ clients: Surmado saves 20-40 hours/month. For businesses testing monthly: Saves 40 hours/quarter. ROI positive if your time worth > $15/hour.

Reading time: 13 minutes

In this guide:

• Signal saves 8-12 hours per report (94-98% time reduction) where manual AI testing requires writing 5-7 personas (1-2 hours), generating 50+ query variations (2-3 hours), manually querying 7 AI platforms 56 times (4-5 hours), recording results (1-2 hours), calculating metrics (30-60 min), creating report (1-2 hours) vs Signal’s 30 minutes ($25 or $50), ROI positive if time worth > $15/hour
• Scan saves 12-18 hours per audit (95-98% time reduction) where manual website auditing across 9 browsers requires performance testing (2-3 hours), 150+ WCAG accessibility checks (3-4 hours), SEO validation on 30-100 pages (2-3 hours), security testing (1-2 hours), cross-browser screenshots (1-2 hours), results compilation (2-3 hours), plus $39/month BrowserStack + $700+ devices vs Scan’s 45 minutes ($25 or $50)
• Solutions saves 14-20 hours per strategic analysis (96-98% time reduction) where manual strategy research requires options research (4-6 hours), financial modeling (3-4 hours), risk assessment (2-3 hours), multi-perspective analysis from CFO/COO/Market/Strategic lenses (3-4 hours), synthesizing recommendations (2-3 hours) vs Solutions’ 40 minutes with 6-AI adversarial debate ($50)
• Agencies save 240-365 hours monthly at 9-11× ROI where 10 clients with monthly Signal/Scan and 4 Solutions reports costs $1,200 Surmado + $758.50 review time vs $12,800-19,000 manual testing time, enabling 200-300 saved hours for client acquisition (10-15 new clients × $2,000/month = $20K-30K new revenue) instead of manual testing
• Manual approach only makes sense for extreme niches like custom AI platforms Surmado doesn’t test (proprietary enterprise AI, Microsoft Copilot), browser combinations not covered (Opera, Vivaldi, legacy browsers), or industry-specific compliance (HIPAA/PCI-DSS beyond WCAG), with hybrid approach recommended (Surmado for 90%, manual for 10% edge cases)

Time savings: 95-98% (15 minutes vs 8-40 hours per task)

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Signal: AI Visibility Testing

Manual Approach

Task: Test how often ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Grok, ChatGPT Search, and Perplexity mention your business organically

Process:

1. Write personas (1-2 hours)

   • Brainstorm 5-7 buyer queries
   • Example: “Emergency AC repair Phoenix same-day service”

2. Generate variations (2-3 hours)

   • Create 50+ test queries from personas
   • Rephrase for variety
   • Add context variations

3. Test on 7 AI platforms (4-5 hours)

   • Manually type each query into ChatGPT (7 queries)
   • Manually type each query into Claude (7 queries)
   • Repeat for Perplexity, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek
   • Total: 56 manual queries

4. Record results (1-2 hours)

   • Copy/paste each AI response to spreadsheet
   • Tag mentions (yes/no for your business)
   • Note competitor mentions

5. Calculate metrics (30-60 min)

   • Count mentions (presence frequency)
   • Identify competitors mentioned
   • Calculate platform variance
   • Determine positioning quality (authority)

6. Create report (1-2 hours)

   • Summarize findings
   • Create charts
   • Write recommendations

Total time: 8-12 hours

Cost (if your time = $50/hour): $400-600

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Surmado Signal

Process:

1. Submit 3-7 personas (5 minutes)
2. Wait for report (about 15 minutes)
3. Review results (10-15 minutes)

Total time: about 30 minutes

Cost: $25 (Essential) or $50 (Pro)

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Time Savings: Signal

Task	Manual	Signal	Savings
Time	8-12 hours	30 minutes	94-98%
Cost ($50/hour rate)	$400-600	$25 or $50	92-96%
Effort	High (repetitive manual queries)	Low (submit personas, review report)	95%+

ROI: Signal pays for itself if your time worth > $15/hour

Example: Agency testing 10 clients monthly

• Manual: 80-120 hours/month ($4,000-6,000)
• Signal: 5 hours/month setup + review ($250-500 for reports)
• Savings: 75-115 hours/month ($3,750-5,750)

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Scan: Website Audit

Manual Approach

Task: Audit website for performance, accessibility, SEO, security issues across 9 browsers

Process:

1. Performance testing (2-3 hours)

   • Test LCP, CLS, INP on Chrome desktop
   • Test on Firefox desktop
   • Test on Safari macOS
   • Test on Safari iOS (real device)
   • Test on Chrome Android (real device)
   • Test on Edge desktop
   • Test on Brave desktop
   • Test on Instagram in-app browser (real device)
   • Test on Facebook in-app browser (real device)
   • Record Core Web Vitals for each
   • Identify performance bottlenecks

2. Accessibility testing (3-4 hours)

   • Run WAVE tool (30 min)
   • Run axe DevTools (30 min)
   • Manual keyboard navigation test (1 hour)
   • Screen reader test (1 hour)
   • Color contrast checks (30 min)
   • Document all 150+ WCAG checks

3. SEO testing (2-3 hours)

   • Check meta tags (all 30-100 pages)
   • Verify schema markup (LocalBusiness, Service, Review)
   • Test canonical URLs
   • Check robots.txt, sitemap.xml
   • Validate internal linking
   • Check for duplicate content

4. Security testing (1-2 hours)

   • SSL certificate validation
   • HTTPS enforcement
   • Security headers check
   • Check for mixed content
   • Test for common vulnerabilities

5. Cross-browser screenshots (1-2 hours)

   • Capture screenshots on all 9 browsers
   • Compare layouts
   • Identify browser-specific bugs

6. Compile results (2-3 hours)

   • Aggregate issues from all tools
   • Categorize by severity (high/medium/low)
   • Create prioritized fix list
   • Write recommendations
   • Create charts

Total time: 12-18 hours

Cost (if your time = $50/hour): $600-900

Tools needed (additional cost):

• WAVE ($0, free)
• axe DevTools ($0, free)
• Real iOS device (iPhone, $500+)
• Real Android device ($200+)
• BrowserStack (for in-app browsers, $39/month)

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Surmado Scan

Process:

1. Submit website URL (2 minutes)
2. Wait for report (about 15-30 minutes)
3. Review results (15-30 minutes)

Total time: about 45 minutes

Cost: $25 (Essential, 30 pages) or $50 (Pro, 100 pages)

Tools included: All testing tools automated (performance, accessibility, SEO, security, 9 browsers)

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Time Savings: Scan

Task	Manual	Scan	Savings
Time	12-18 hours	45 minutes	95-98%
Cost ($50/hour rate)	$600-900	$25 or $50	94-97%
Tools cost	$39/month (BrowserStack) + devices ($700+)	$0	100%
Effort	High (9 browsers, manual testing)	Low (automated)	95%+

ROI: Scan pays for itself if your time worth > $10/hour

Example: Agency auditing 5 client sites monthly

• Manual: 60-90 hours/month ($3,000-4,500)
• Scan: 3.75 hours/month review ($125-250 for reports)
• Savings: 56-86 hours/month ($2,875-4,375)

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Solutions: Strategic Analysis

Manual Approach

Task: Analyze strategic question with multiple perspectives, risk assessment, prioritized recommendations

Process:

1. Research options (4-6 hours)

   • Google search for similar case studies
   • Read industry reports
   • Analyze competitor strategies
   • Gather pricing/cost data

2. Financial analysis (3-4 hours)

   • Build spreadsheet model
   • Calculate ROI for each option
   • Sensitivity analysis
   • Best case / worst case scenarios

3. Risk assessment (2-3 hours)

   • Identify risks for each option
   • Assess probability and impact
   • Document mitigation strategies

4. Multi-perspective analysis (3-4 hours)

   • CFO view (financial viability)
   • COO view (operational feasibility)
   • Market analysis (competitive timing)
   • Strategic fit (alignment with goals)
   • Edge cases (unconventional risks)

5. Create recommendations (2-3 hours)

   • Synthesize all perspectives
   • Prioritize options
   • Write rationale
   • Create final report

Total time: 14-20 hours

Cost (if your time = $50/hour): $700-1,000

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Surmado Solutions

Process:

1. Submit strategic question (5 minutes)
2. Optionally provide Signal/Scan token for quantitative analysis (1 minute)
3. Wait for report (about 15-20 minutes)
4. Review 6-model debate and recommendations (15-30 minutes)

Total time: about 40 minutes

Cost: $50

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Time Savings: Solutions

Task	Manual	Solutions	Savings
Time	14-20 hours	40 minutes	96-98%
Cost ($50/hour rate)	$700-1,000	$50	93-95%
Perspectives	1-2 (your own analysis)	6 (CFO, COO, Market Realist, Game Theorist, Chief Strategist, Wildcard)	3-6× more
Bias	Medium (your assumptions)	None (AI models challenge each other)	Unbiased

ROI: Solutions pays for itself if your time worth > $15/hour

Example: SMB analyzing 4 strategic decisions per quarter

• Manual: 56-80 hours/quarter ($2,800-4,000)
• Solutions: 2.67 hours/quarter review ($200 for reports)
• Savings: 53-77 hours/quarter ($2,600-3,800)

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Complete Visibility Suite vs Manual Tracking

Manual Quarterly Tracking

Agency with 10 clients, quarterly Signal + Scan for each:

Per client:

• Signal manual: 8-12 hours
• Scan manual: 12-18 hours
• Total: 20-30 hours/client

For 10 clients:

• Time: 200-300 hours/quarter
• Cost ($50/hour): $10,000-15,000

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Complete Visibility Suite

$100 bundle (6 credits, use flexibly):

• 3× Signal Pro ($50 each)
• 3× Scan Pro ($50 each)
• Or: 2 Signal Pro + 2 Scan Pro + 2 Solutions

Time:

• Signal: 30 min × 10 = 5 hours/quarter (review)
• Scan: 45 min × 10 = 7.5 hours/quarter (review)
• Total: 12.5 hours/quarter (just reviews)

Cost:

• $1,000 (10 bundles × $100) for all 10 clients (Signal + Scan)

Savings:

• Time: 187.5-287.5 hours/quarter
• Money: $9,000-14,000/quarter (if your time = $50/hour)
• ROI: 9-14× return on $1,000 investment

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Time Breakdown Comparison

For Agencies (10 Clients, Monthly Testing)

Task	Manual (Monthly)	Surmado (Monthly)	Time Saved
Signal (10 clients)	80-120 hours	5 hours	75-115 hours
Scan (10 clients)	120-180 hours	7.5 hours	112.5-172.5 hours
Solutions (4/month)	56-80 hours	2.67 hours	53-77 hours
Total	256-380 hours/month	15.17 hours/month	240-365 hours/month

Cost comparison ($50/hour rate):

• Manual: $12,800-19,000/month (your time)
• Surmado: $750-1,000/month (reports) + $758.50 (review time) = $1,508.50-1,758.50
• Savings: $11,041.50-17,241.50/month

ROI: 7-11× return on Surmado investment

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For SMBs (Quarterly Testing)

Task	Manual (Quarterly)	Surmado (Quarterly)	Time Saved
Signal (1 report)	8-12 hours	30 min	7.5-11.5 hours
Scan (1 report)	12-18 hours	45 min	11.25-17.25 hours
Solutions (2 reports)	28-40 hours	1.33 hours	26.67-38.67 hours
Total	48-70 hours/quarter	2.58 hours/quarter	45.42-67.42 hours/quarter

Cost comparison ($50/hour rate):

• Manual: $2,400-3,500/quarter (your time)
• Surmado: $150/quarter (1 Signal Pro + 1 Scan Pro + 2 Solutions) + $129 (review time) = $279
• Savings: $2,121-3,221/quarter

ROI: 7.6-11.5× return on Surmado investment

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Hidden Costs of Manual Approach

Opportunity Cost

Time spent on manual testing = time NOT spent on:

• Client acquisition
• Content creation
• Sales calls
• Product development
• Strategic planning

Example: Agency spending 200-300 hours/quarter on manual testing

• Could instead: Acquire 10-15 new clients (20 hours/client sales process)
• Revenue impact: 10 clients × $2,000/month = $20,000/month new recurring revenue
• Opportunity cost: $60,000/quarter in lost growth

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Tool Fragmentation

Manual approach requires multiple tools:

• BrowserStack ($39/month) for cross-browser testing
• WAVE/axe DevTools (free, but manual)
• Google Lighthouse (free, but manual)
• Schema validators (free, but manual per page)
• ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) for AI testing
• Claude Pro ($20/month)
• Gemini Advanced ($20/month)
• Perplexity Pro ($20/month)
• Total: $139/month + significant manual time

Surmado: All-in-one ($100/month for 6 credits = unlimited flexibility)

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Error Rates

Manual testing error rates:

• Missed issues: 15-25% (human error, fatigue)
• Inconsistent testing: 20-30% (testing rigor varies)
• Recording mistakes: 10-15% (copy/paste errors, spreadsheet mistakes)

Surmado: Automated testing (0% error rate for covered checks)

Example: Manual audit misses 20% of accessibility issues

• WCAG lawsuit risk (average settlement: $10,000-20,000)
• Surmado catches 150+ accessibility checks (reduces risk)

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When Manual Approach Makes Sense

Scenario 1: Very Small Volume

If testing:

• 1 Signal report per year
• 1 Scan per year
• 1 Solutions per year

Manual cost: 40-50 hours/year ($2,000-2,500 if time = $50/hour) Surmado cost: $125/year (1 of each)

Manual time still high, but if you value learning experience (understanding AI platforms, manual testing process), manual approach has educational value.

Recommendation: Still use Surmado (saves 40+ hours/year), spend saved time on strategic work instead

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Scenario 2: Custom AI Platforms

If you need to test:

• Proprietary AI models (not covered by Signal: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Grok, Perplexity, ChatGPT Search)
• Enterprise-only AI (Microsoft Copilot, internal AI tools)

Manual approach necessary: Surmado doesn’t test custom platforms

Hybrid: Use Surmado for standard 8 platforms, manual for custom 1-2 platforms

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Scenario 3: Extremely Niche Testing

If you need:

• Browser combinations Surmado doesn’t test (e.g., Opera, Vivaldi, specific legacy browsers)
• Custom accessibility checks beyond WCAG 2.1 AA
• Industry-specific compliance (HIPAA, PCI-DSS auditing)

Manual approach needed: Surmado covers 90% of use cases, but niche needs may require custom testing

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Automation ROI Calculator

Your Time Value

Hourly rate: $ _____ (what you charge clients, or internal opportunity cost)

Monthly Testing Volume

• Signal reports/month: _____
• Scan reports/month: _____
• Solutions reports/month: _____

Time Saved Calculation

Manual time:

• Signal: _____ reports × 8 hours = _____ hours
• Scan: _____ reports × 12 hours = _____ hours
• Solutions: _____ reports × 14 hours = _____ hours
• Total manual: _____ hours/month

Surmado time:

• Signal: _____ reports × 0.5 hours = _____ hours
• Scan: _____ reports × 0.75 hours = _____ hours
• Solutions: _____ reports × 0.67 hours = _____ hours
• Total Surmado: _____ hours/month

Time saved: _____ hours/month

Cost Comparison

Manual cost: _____ hours × $_____ /hour = $_____

Surmado cost:

• Signal: _____ reports × $25 or $50 = $_____
• Scan: _____ reports × $25 or $50 = $_____
• Solutions: _____ reports × $50 = $_____
• Total Surmado: $_____

Monthly savings: $_____ - $_____ = $_____

ROI: ($_____ / $_____) = _____×

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Example Filled Out (Agency, 10 Clients)

Hourly rate: $50

Monthly volume: 10 Signal, 10 Scan, 4 Solutions

Manual time: 80 + 120 + 56 = 256 hours/month

Surmado time: 5 + 7.5 + 2.67 = 15.17 hours/month

Time saved: 240.83 hours/month

Manual cost: 256 × $50 = $12,800

Surmado cost: (10 × $50) + (10 × $50) + (4 × $50) = $1,200

Monthly savings: $12,800 - $1,200 = $11,600

ROI: $11,600 / $1,200 = 9.67× return

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Common Questions

Can I do some tasks manually and automate others?

Yes. Hybrid approach:

• Use Signal (automated) for AI visibility
• Use manual testing for niche browsers Surmado doesn’t cover
• Use Solutions (automated) for strategic decisions
• Use manual consultant for complex transformations

What if my time is worth < $15/hour?

Even at minimum wage ($7.25/hour), Surmado ROI positive:

• Signal: Manual = $58-87, Surmado = $25 or $50 (still saves money)
• Scan: Manual = $87-130, Surmado = $25 or $50 (still saves money)
• Solutions: Manual = $101-145, Surmado = $50 (still saves money)

Plus: 95% time savings (spend saved time on revenue-generating activities)

Is automated testing as good as manual?

For covered checks: Yes (Signal tests 7 AI platforms, Scan tests 150+ WCAG checks, both automated = 0% error rate)

For uncovered checks: Manual needed (e.g., alt text quality, custom industry compliance, niche browsers)

Best: Automated for 90% of testing, manual review for remaining 10%

How long does it take to learn manual testing?

• Signal manual testing: 2-4 hours (learn AI platforms, develop testing process)
• Scan manual testing: 8-16 hours (learn WCAG, performance tools, cross-browser testing)
• Solutions manual analysis: 10-20 hours (learn strategic frameworks, financial modeling)
• Total learning curve: 20-40 hours

Surmado learning curve: 30 minutes (submit first report, review results)

Do I lose control with automation?

No. Surmado provides:

• Intelligence Token API (raw data access)
• PDF reports (full transparency of what was tested)
• Customization (choose personas for Signal, pages for Scan, questions for Solutions)

Manual control still available: Use API data to do additional manual analysis if needed

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Final Recommendation

For 99% of use cases: Use Surmado (automates 95% of testing, saves 20-40 hours/month)

Spend saved time on:

• Revenue generation (sales, marketing)
• Strategic work (product development, partnerships)
• High-value tasks only humans can do (client relationships, creative work)

Manual testing reserved for:

• Niche use cases (custom AI platforms, legacy browsers)
• Learning (if you want to deeply understand testing process)
• Validation (occasional manual verification of automated results)

ROI threshold: If your time worth > $10/hour, Surmado ROI positive. If your time worth < $10/hour, still ROI positive due to time savings enabling revenue-generating activities.

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Want to see time savings firsthand? Run Signal Essential ($25) and track how long it takes (15 min) vs manual AI testing (8 hours). Complete Visibility Suite ($100) for agencies running multiple reports monthly. 7-day money-back guarantee.