DataForSEO - SEO Data API Platform

REST API access to 7B+ keywords, SERP data from 8 search engines, backlink analysis, and comprehensive SEO metrics

Production-tested by 750+ companies including agencies, SaaS platforms, and enterprise SEO tools. $0.0012 per 100 SERP results with pay-as-you-go pricing.

What is DataForSEO?

DataForSEO is a REST API platform providing programmatic access to SEO data including SERP results, keyword metrics, backlink profiles, on-page analysis, and content data across multiple search engines and locations.

• 8 API Suites: SERP, Keywords Data, Backlinks, On-Page, DataForSEO Labs, Content Analysis, Merchant, Business Data
• 7B+ Keywords: Search volume, CPC, competition data across 230+ countries
• 8 Search Engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, Yandex, YouTube, Amazon, App Store
• 750+ Customers: Agencies, SaaS platforms, SEO tools, enterprise companies
• Pay-as-you-go: No minimum commitments, $0.0012 per 100 SERP results

8 Core API Suites

1. SERP API - Search Results Data

Get real-time or scheduled SERP data from Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, Yandex with all elements (organic, paid, featured snippets, People Also Ask, Knowledge Graph).

• Live results: Real-time SERP data on-demand
• Task-based: Schedule bulk SERP tracking jobs
• All SERP features: Organic, ads, featured snippets, PAA, local pack, shopping
• 230+ locations: Country, region, city-level targeting
• Pricing: $0.0012 per 100 results (Google live), $0.0003 per result (task-based)

2. Keywords Data API - Keyword Research

Access 7B+ keywords with search volume, CPC, competition, trends, and related keywords across Google Ads and organic search.

• 7B+ keywords: Comprehensive database across all industries
• Search volume: Monthly search volume with historical trends
• CPC data: Cost-per-click and competition metrics
• Related keywords: Similar, suggested, and question-based keywords
• Pricing: $0.002 per keyword lookup

3. Backlinks API - Link Profile Analysis

Comprehensive backlink data including referring domains, anchor text, link attributes, historical data, and competitor analysis.

• Referring domains: Complete backlink profile with domain authority
• Anchor text: Distribution and link context analysis
• Historical data: Track backlink growth and loss over time
• Competitor analysis: Compare link profiles across domains
• Pricing: $0.006 per domain analyzed

4. On-Page API - Technical SEO Audits

Crawl websites for technical SEO issues: broken links, page speed, meta tags, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and HTML validation.

• Site crawling: Comprehensive website analysis
• Page speed: Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) measurement
• Meta analysis: Title, description, headers, schema validation
• Link checking: Internal/external broken links
• Pricing: $0.002 per page crawled

5. DataForSEO Labs - Advanced SEO Metrics

Proprietary metrics including domain rank, keyword difficulty, SERP competitor data, ranking distribution, and historical rankings.

• Domain metrics: Rank, trust, authority scores
• Keyword difficulty: Competition analysis for ranking
• SERP analysis: Top pages, ranking distribution
• Historical rankings: Track position changes over time
• Pricing: $0.0015 per request

6. Content Analysis API - Content Insights

Analyze content performance, topic research, sentiment analysis, readability scores, and competitive content gaps.

• Topic research: Discover trending topics and content ideas
• Sentiment analysis: Gauge content tone and emotion
• Readability: Flesch-Kincaid and other readability metrics
• Content gaps: Find underserved topics vs competitors
• Pricing: $0.003 per analysis

7. Merchant API - E-commerce Search Data

Amazon and Google Shopping data including product rankings, reviews, pricing, sellers, and marketplace analytics.

• Product search: Amazon and Google Shopping SERP data
• Reviews & ratings: Product review aggregation
• Pricing data: Competitive price tracking
• Seller info: Marketplace seller analysis
• Pricing: $0.002 per product lookup

8. Business Data API - Local SEO & Business Info

Google Business Profile data, local pack results, reviews, business categories, and location-based search insights.

• Local pack: Google Maps and local search results
• Business profiles: GBP data including hours, reviews, photos
• Reviews: Aggregate review data across platforms
• Categories: Business category and niche analysis
• Pricing: $0.001 per business lookup

Next.js 16 Integration Patterns

Authentication Setup

// .env.local
DATAFORSEO_LOGIN=your_email@example.com
DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD=your_password

// lib/dataforseo.ts
export const DATAFORSEO_API_BASE = 'https://api.dataforseo.com/v3';

export function getDataForSEOAuth() {
  const auth = Buffer.from(
    `${process.env.DATAFORSEO_LOGIN}:${process.env.DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD}`
  ).toString('base64');

  return {
    'Authorization': `Basic ${auth}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  };
}

SERP API - Track Rankings

// app/api/seo/serp/route.ts
import { DATAFORSEO_API_BASE, getDataForSEOAuth } from '@/lib/dataforseo';

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { keyword, location = 2840, language = "en" } = await request.json();

  const response = await fetch(
    `${DATAFORSEO_API_BASE}/serp/google/organic/live/advanced`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: getDataForSEOAuth(),
      body: JSON.stringify([{
        keyword,
        location_code: location, // 2840 = United States
        language_code: language,
        device: "desktop",
        depth: 100 // Get top 100 results
      }])
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();

  // Extract ranking position for your domain
  const items = data.tasks?.[0]?.result?.[0]?.items || [];
  const position = items.findIndex(
    item => item.url?.includes('avolve.io')
  ) + 1;

  return Response.json({
    keyword,
    position: position || null,
    totalResults: items.length,
    serp: items.slice(0, 10) // Top 10 results
  });
}

Keywords Data API - Keyword Research

// app/api/seo/keywords/route.ts
import { DATAFORSEO_API_BASE, getDataForSEOAuth } from '@/lib/dataforseo';

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { seed_keyword, location = 2840 } = await request.json();

  const response = await fetch(
    `${DATAFORSEO_API_BASE}/keywords_data/google_ads/search_volume/live`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: getDataForSEOAuth(),
      body: JSON.stringify([{
        keywords: [seed_keyword],
        location_code: location,
        language_code: "en"
      }])
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  const result = data.tasks?.[0]?.result?.[0];

  return Response.json({
    keyword: seed_keyword,
    searchVolume: result?.search_volume,
    cpc: result?.cpc,
    competition: result?.competition,
    trends: result?.monthly_searches
  });
}

Backlinks API - Link Profile

// app/api/seo/backlinks/route.ts
import { DATAFORSEO_API_BASE, getDataForSEOAuth } from '@/lib/dataforseo';

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { target_domain } = await request.json();

  const response = await fetch(
    `${DATAFORSEO_API_BASE}/backlinks/summary/live`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: getDataForSEOAuth(),
      body: JSON.stringify([{
        target: target_domain,
        internal_list_limit: 10,
        backlinks_status_type: "live"
      }])
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  const result = data.tasks?.[0]?.result?.[0];

  return Response.json({
    domain: target_domain,
    backlinks: result?.backlinks,
    referringDomains: result?.referring_domains,
    domainRank: result?.rank,
    brokenBacklinks: result?.broken_backlinks
  });
}

On-Page API - Core Web Vitals Audit

// app/api/seo/audit/route.ts
import { DATAFORSEO_API_BASE, getDataForSEOAuth } from '@/lib/dataforseo';

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { url } = await request.json();

  const response = await fetch(
    `${DATAFORSEO_API_BASE}/on_page/page_screenshot`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: getDataForSEOAuth(),
      body: JSON.stringify([{
        url,
        enable_javascript: true,
        load_resources: true
      }])
    }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  const result = data.tasks?.[0]?.result?.[0];

  return Response.json({
    url,
    lcp: result?.page_timing?.largest_contentful_paint,
    cls: result?.page_timing?.cumulative_layout_shift,
    fid: result?.page_timing?.first_input_delay,
    onPageScore: result?.checks?.on_page_score
  });
}

Pricing Structure

Pay-as-you-go model: No monthly minimums, no contracts. Pay only for what you use with per-request pricing.

API Suite	Pricing	Example Cost
SERP API (Live)	$0.0012 per 100 results	10K queries = $12
SERP API (Task)	$0.0003 per result	10K queries = $3
Keywords Data	$0.002 per keyword	5K keywords = $10
Backlinks	$0.006 per domain	1K domains = $6
On-Page	$0.002 per page	1K pages = $2
DataForSEO Labs	$0.0015 per request	10K requests = $15

Cost optimization: Use task-based endpoints (75% cheaper than live), cache results aggressively, batch requests, and start with free tier ($1 credit) to test integration.

Use Cases for Avolve.io

Rank Tracking Dashboard

Track "Next.js 16", "React 19.2", "TypeScript 5.9" rankings daily using SERP API task-based endpoints.

Cost: 50 keywords × 30 days = $0.45/month

Topic Cluster Research

Use Keywords Data API to find 100+ related keywords for each pillar page, informing content strategy.

Cost: 500 keywords = $1

Competitor Backlink Analysis

Monitor backlink profiles of 10 competitor domains monthly to identify link-building opportunities.

Cost: 10 domains × 12 months = $0.72/year

Technical SEO Monitoring

Weekly On-Page API audits of all pages for Core Web Vitals, broken links, and schema validation.

Cost: 20 pages × 52 weeks = $2.08/year

🤖 For AI Assistants

8 API suites: SERP (rank tracking), Keywords Data (7B+ keywords), Backlinks (domain authority), On-Page (Core Web Vitals), Labs (keyword difficulty), Content Analysis, Merchant, Business Data
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go, $0.0012 per 100 SERP results (live), $0.0003 per result (task-based), no minimums
Integration pattern: Basic auth with Buffer.from credentials, Next.js API routes, server-side only (never expose credentials client-side)
Best practices: Use task-based endpoints (75% cheaper), cache results, batch requests, start with $1 free credit
Common use cases: Rank tracking dashboards, keyword research for topic clusters, competitor backlink analysis, technical SEO monitoring
Next.js implementation: Store credentials in .env.local, create API routes in app/api/seo/, use Server Components for data fetching

Stack Relationships

• Enhances Search System: Programmatic SEO data complements manual optimization
• Informs Solutions: Data-driven keyword and content strategy for visibility
• Integrates with Next.js: API routes, Server Components, caching patterns
• Part of Services: External managed API platform with pay-as-you-go pricing