Creating awesome content that ranks high in Google is tough.
You need the right tools to help you out. Two of the most popular options are the Surfer SEO and SE Ranking.
Both promise to boost your content’s performance, but which one comes out on top in 2025?
In this post, we’ll dive deep into both platforms, comparing their features, ease of the use, and pricing.
By the end, you’ll know exactly which tool fits your content optimization needs. Let’s get started!
Surfer SEO vs SE Ranking: Overview
To give you the most accurate comparison, we’ve spent weeks testing both Surfer SEO and SE Ranking.
We’ve explored their features, analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, and put them to the test with real-world content optimization tasks.
Now, let’s see how they stack up!
Surfer SEO helps you write content that ranks higher. Users have seen up to a 30% increase in organic traffic.
Pricing: 7-day money-back guarantee. Plans start from $99/month
Key Features:
- Content Editor
- Keyword Research
- SERP Analyzer
Elevate your SEO strategy. Explore SE Ranking’s comprehensive suite of the best tools and discover new possibilities.
Pricing: It has a 20% discount on plan. Plans start from $65/month.
Key Features:
- Website Audit
- Backlink Checker
- Rank Tracker
What is Surfer SEO?
Ever wished you had an SEO expert looking over your shoulder as you write?
That’s what Surfer SEO is like. It’s a tool that helps you make content optimized for search engines.
Think of it as your content creation co-pilot. It analyzes top-ranking pages for your targeted keywords.
Then, it gives you suggestions on how to improve your own content. Pretty cool, right?
Key Benefits
- Content Score: Get a score out of 100 based on how well your content is really optimized.
- Content Editor: Write your content directly in Surfer’s editor and get real-time feedback.
- Keyword Research: Find relevant keywords with search volume and difficulty data.
- SERP Analyzer: See what’s working for your competitors in the search results.
- Plagiarism Checker: Ensure that your content is 100% original.
Pricing
Surfer SEO offers three main pricing plans:
- Basic: $99/month: Track 200 pages across your sites, Write & optimize 30 articles, Generate 5 rank-ready articles.
- Scale: $219/month ($99/month if billed annually). This plan increases your limits and adds additional features.
- Custom: Contact sales for the pricing.
Pros
Cons
What is SE Ranking?
Need an all-in-one SEO platform? SE Ranking might be what you’re looking for.
It’s got all the essential tools you need to improve your website’s search engine rankings.
Think keyword research, website audits, backlink analysis, and even competitor tracking.
SE Ranking packs a lot of features into one platform. And it does it at a pretty affordable price.
Outperform your competition. Discover SE Ranking’s competitive edge and unlock your website’s full potential.
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive SEO toolkit: Get access to over 30 different SEO tools.
- Website Audit: Identify technical issues and on-page optimization opportunities.
- Backlink Checker: Analyze your backlink profile and find new link-building opportunities.
- Rank Tracker: Track your rankings across different search engines and locations.
- Marketing Plan: Get a step-by-step SEO plan with personalized recommendations.
Pricing
SE Ranking offers three main pricing plans, billed monthly or annually (annual billing offers a discount):
- Essential $65/month: 1 Manager seat, 5 Project, 500 keywords to track daily.
- Pro $119/month: 3 Manager seats, 30 Projects, 2000 keywords to track daily.
- Business $259/month: 5 Manager seats, Unlimited Projects, 5000 keywords to track daily.
Pros
Cons
Surfer SEO vs SE Ranking: Feature Comparison
Let’s break down the key features of these two SEO powerhouses side-by-side.
This will help you quickly see which tool best fits your needs for search engine optimization and creating SEO-optimized content.
Keyword Research Tool:
- Both offer strong keyword research tools with unique strengths.
- Surfer SEO: Focuses on finding relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition. Provides keyword search functionality with in-depth keyword research data on keyword difficulty and SERP features.
- SE Ranking: Excellent for competitor analysis. It Helps you discover which keywords your competitors are ranking for and identify new opportunities. A top contender among the best Surfer SEO alternatives for keyword research tool capabilities.
On-Page Optimization:
- Surfer SEO: Excels in this area with its Content Editor, providing real-time feedback and analyzing various on-page factors to ensure your content is SEO optimized.
- SE Ranking: Offers solid on-page optimization features, including an SEO optimization checklist and a website audit tool, though less comprehensive than Surfer SEO.
Content Optimization:
- Surfer SEO: The clear winner for creating SEO-optimized content. Its Content Editor allows you to write and optimize simultaneously. It also includes a Content Planner and Plagiarism Checker to ensure you are creating SEO-optimized content.
- SE Ranking: Provides tools like an SEO writing assistant and content idea generator, but they are not as advanced as Surfer SEO when creating SEO-optimized content.
Rank Tracking:
- Both offer rank tracking.
- SE Ranking: More comprehensive, allowing you to track rankings across different search engines and locations, including competitor rankings
- Surfer SEO: More basic rank-tracking functionality.
Backlink Analysis:
- SE Ranking: Offers a more powerful backlink checker tool for analyzing your backlink profile, identifying harmful links, and discovering new link building opportunities.
- Surfer SEO: Provides more limited backlink analysis features.
Website Audit:
- Both include website audit tools.
- SE Ranking: Provides a more in-depth audit, crawling your site for technical SEO issues and offering solutions.
- Surfer SEO: Offers a more basic website audit.
Reporting and Analytics:
- Both have reporting capabilities.
- SE Ranking: More robust, with detailed reports on website performance, keyword rankings, and backlinks. Allows custom reports.
- Surfer SEO: Offers more basic reporting focused on content performance.
What to Look For When Choosing Between Surfer SEO & SE Ranking?
- Your Budget: SE Ranking offers more affordable pricing plans, while Surfer SEO is a bit pricier.
- Your SEO Knowledge: SE Ranking is more beginner-friendly, while Surfer SEO may require more SEO experience.
- Your Content Needs: If content creation is your primary focus, Surfer SEO is the better choice. If you need a vast range of SEO tools, SE Ranking is a good option.
- Your Technical Skills: Surfer SEO is easier to set up and use, while SE Ranking may require some technical know-how.
- Your Team Size: Consider whether you need collaboration features, which both tools offer at higher-tier plans.
- Free Trials: Take advantage of the complimentary trials offered by both platforms to test them out before committing to a paid plan.
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
So, which tool comes out on top? For us, it’s Surfer SEO. Its Content Editor is a game-changer for creating optimized content that ranks.
It gives you real-time feedback & helps you write content that Google loves.
However, SE Ranking is a fantastic alternative to Surfer SEO, especially if you need a wider range of tools and a more budget-friendly option.
It’s great for beginners and offers a solid all-around SEO strategy toolkit.
Ultimately, the best choice depended on your specific needs and budget.
We’ve given you the information; now it’s time to make a decision. Try both tools, explore their features, and see which one best fits your SEO goals. You got this!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surfer SEO worth the money?
Surfer SEO is a powerful tool but comes at a higher price point. Suppose you’re serious about content optimization and have the budget. Its Content Editor alone can significantly improve your content’s performance in search results.
Can I use Surfer SEO and SE Ranking together?
Absolutely! While they have overlapping features, they also complement each other. Surfer SEO excels at content optimization, while SE Ranking offers a broader range of SEO tools. Using them together can give you a comprehensive SEO solution.
Do these tools offer free trials?
Yes, both Surfer SEO and SE Ranking offer free trials. This allows you to test drive the platforms and see which one fits your needs better before committing to a paid plan.
Which tool is better for beginners?
SE Ranking is generally considered more beginner-friendly due to its intuitive interface & comprehensive knowledge base. Surfer SEO might have a slightly steeper learning curve, but it also offers excellent support resources.
Can these tools help me with local SEO?
Yes, both tools can help with local SEO. SE Ranking offers features like local keyword tracking and competitor analysis. Surfer SEO can help you optimize your Google Business Profile and create location-specific content.
