SEO and LEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Language Experience Optimisation (LEO)
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving a website's visibility in search engine results pages (like Google) by optimising content, structure, and technical elements so that it's more easily found and ranked for relevant keywords. It includes strategies like keyword research, content creation, meta tags, internal linking, mobile-friendliness, and backlink building.
Language Engine Optimization(LEO), or Large Language Model (LLM) Optimisation, is a newer subset of optimisation. It relatedsto optimising a website’s content so it is more easily discovered, interpreted, and surfaced by LLMs like Perplexity and ChatGPT. This involves using natural, conversational language, structuring content clearly with questions and answers, adding schema markup for context, and ensuring factual accuracy and authority so that the content is more likely to be quoted, recommended, or summarized by AI-driven tools and assistants.
SE Ranking
What it does: SE Ranking is a comprehensive SEO software suite which helps SMEs improve their search engine visibility, track rankings, audit their websites, spy on competitors, and discover the keywords which bring in real business. It’s packed with features like AI-powered on-page SEO analysis, backlink monitoring, keyword suggestions, content optimisation, and even local SEO tools. It now also has an LLM rankings section and helps identify natural-language search terms and long-tail keywords, which are highly aligned with how users phrase queries to LLMs like Perplexity and ChatGPT.
Best for: SMEs which want to attract more traffic from Google, improve their website rankings, and get a clear return on their SEO efforts — perfect for trades, agencies, online stores, local services, and consultants.
Example use cases: A fashion boutique wants to track their most important keywords, optimise product pages, and monitor backlinks. Within 60 days, they improve visibility for 20+ keywords and see a 30% boost in organic traffic; and a plumbing company uses SE Ranking’s Local Marketing Tool to track local keywords, benchmark against nearby competitors, and improve their Google Business profile. Result: more local bookings with no extra ad spend.
Paid plans: Essential Plan: £44/month. Pro Plan: £78/month. Business Plan: £167.20/month.
Pro tip: Use SE Ranking’s AI-powered On-Page SEO Checker to analyse your pages against top-performing competitors through its step-by-step recommendations.
SEMrush
What it does: SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO and marketing suite offering keyword research, site audits, competitive analysis, and advertising tools. It now also helps identify natural-language search terms and long-tail keywords, which are highly aligned with how users phrase queries to LLMs like Perplexity and ChatGPT. In addition, this tool offers insights into schema usage. Proper schema helps LLMs understand your content’s context, such as FAQs, authorship, reviews, etc.
Best for: SMEs and agencies seeking an all-in-one solution for SEO, PPC, and content marketing where it is highly important they are ranked high in search engines.
Example use cases: A digital marketing agency wants to track client rankings; and an SaaS business wants to analyse competitors’ keywords.
Paid plans: Pro Plan: $177.33/month. Guru Plan: $208.33/month. Business Plan: $416.33. (Can be accessed by UK businesses). Although pricey, this tool can really make the difference if it is important to make sure you appear high up in searches such as Google.
Pro tip: Use SEMrush’s Position Tracking to monitor your search rankings closely and adapt your strategy.
Surfer SEO
What it does: Surfer SEO utilises AI to analyse website content and provide real-time recommendations for keyword use, structure, and optimisation to rank higher on search engines. It is becoming increasingly helpful for LEO as it also helps structure content in a Q&A format, boost semantic coverage, and ensure content is aligned with natural language patterns used by LLMs.
Best for: SMEs focused on improving organic search traffic with data-driven content strategies. Example use cases: An online retailer wants to optimise product pages; and a blogger wants to create SEO-friendly articles.
Paid plans: Essential Plan: $79/month. Scale Plan: $175/month. Enterprise Plan: Custom. (Can be accessed by UK businesses)
Pro tip: Use Surfer’s Content Editor to optimize as you write, ensuring every page is SEO-ready.
Mangools (best free plan)
What it does: Mangools is a suite of beginner-friendly SEO tools designed to help small businesses improve their online visibility. Its free plan offers access to essential features like keyword research, backlink analysis, SERP tracking, and competitor insights, but it only has limited daily searches/lookups.
Best for: SMEs looking to dip their toes into SEO without the overwhelm or high cost. Example use cases: A local bakery wants to find the best keywords like “artisan sourdough near me” to rank higher in Google searches; and
a consultancy business wants to track how its website appears in search results compared to competitors in the same region.
Paid plans: Basic Plan: $29.90/month. Premium Plan: $44.90/month. Agency Plan: $89.90/month. (Can be accessed by UK businesses)
Pro tip: Use the free keyword finder once per day to identify long-tail keywords with low competition — ideal for blog posts, product pages, and local SEO without paid ads.
