Google Keyword Search Volume & CPC API

Preparing a client content plan or PPC keyword review? Turn an existing list of up to 100 keywords into Google Ads search volume, CPC, advertiser competition, and a sortable research shortlist for $0.25 per batch. DataForSEO access is included.

Built for SEO agencies, content strategists, and PPC teams that already have keywords to evaluate. You do not need your own DataForSEO credentials or Google Ads login.

Paid Apify plan required for live data. Free-plan runs make zero live DataForSEO requests, charge no report events, and leave the dataset empty with a clear upgrade status. Inspect the historical preview below without running the Actor. Live work stops if report billing cannot be confirmed.

Inspect a historical output, then open the ready-to-edit keyword example. For automation, download the n8n keyword-to-CSV workflow.

Preview the planning sheet before running

These three rows were captured in a controlled demonstration on 4 July 2026. They show real returned metrics and scores, not current market data, customer results, or a promise of financial return.

Supplied keyword	Search volume	CPC	Advertiser competition	Competition index	Research score
seo api	480	25.29	LOW	10	85
best web scraping api	140	12.81	LOW	10	75
google ai overview tracker	0	0	Unavailable	50*	1

Download the historical planning CSV or inspect its source JSON. No run or provider request is needed to inspect these files.

* The third row's competition was unavailable; 50 is the calculation's fallback index, not observed advertiser competition. The archive does not record the requested country/language, so neither is inferred here. New live results include the resolved market. Search volume is a provider metric, not guaranteed traffic; CPC is not expected revenue.

What you can do

• Compare demand and CPC across a client's existing keyword list before choosing topics to investigate.
• Sort opportunities into research priorities using a 0–100 score and a recommendation per keyword.
• Export keyword metrics to CSV for a planning sheet or JSON for an API workflow.
• Repeat a batch for another supported location or language to compare markets. Each run is billed separately.

The Actor evaluates supplied keywords; it does not generate keyword ideas or inspect organic search results.

Quick start: prioritise a client's keyword list

1. Start with 5–100 keywords from one client, topic, or campaign. Use the example below for a small first run.
2. Select a named country/language market, such as United States — English. Use Custom / advanced codes for another supported market.
3. On a paid Apify plan, review the Pricing tab and set a run spending limit sufficient for one $0.25 report event.
4. Run the Actor, open the Keyword planning sheet dataset view, and export CSV or JSON. The view puts the resolved market, search volume, CPC, and advertiser competition in separate columns; the Keyword planning CSV output link downloads this view directly. Sort by score, then inspect metrics.searchVolume, metrics.cpc, and metrics.competitionIndex.
5. Check search intent, organic competitors, and your client's conversion economics before deciding what to publish or bid on.

{
  "keywords": [
    "best web scraping api",
    "google ai overview tracker",
    "seo api",
    "rank tracking software",
    "technical seo audit tool"
  ],
  "marketPreset": "us_en"
}

The preset above selects United States — English. Existing API inputs with locationCode: 2840 and languageCode: "en" still work when marketPreset is omitted or "custom". A named preset overrides the advanced fields; select Custom / advanced codes if you want those fields to take effect. Named presets also cover United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and India in English, plus Germany/German, France/French and Spain/Spanish.

Sample output — illustrative, not live market data

This shortened dataset row uses invented metrics to demonstrate the output format. It is not a customer result, benchmark, or claim about the keyword's current demand. The score and recommendation match the Actor's calculation for these illustrative inputs.

{
  "input": "technical seo audit tool",
  "status": "ANALYZED",
  "score": 75,
  "reportType": "keyword-roi-scorer",
  "summary": "technical seo audit tool: volume 1000, CPC 2.5, competition index 40.",
  "recommendations": ["Build now: strong value signal."],
  "metrics": {
    "searchVolume": 1000,
    "cpc": 2.5,
    "competition": "MEDIUM",
    "competitionIndex": 40,
    "monthlySearches": [
      { "year": 2026, "month": 6, "search_volume": 1000 },
      { "year": 2026, "month": 7, "search_volume": 1000 },
      { "year": 2026, "month": 8, "search_volume": 1000 }
    ]
  },
  "checkedAt": "2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z"
}

Full rows also include highlights and supporting provider data in items. One row represents one keyword returned by the provider; unavailable data may affect coverage. API failures produce an API_ERROR row rather than a keyword report. The RUN_SUMMARY key-value record contains the processed count, API-error count, and charged report events.

What the opportunity score does — and does not — mean

The score combines search volume, CPC, the average of the last three entries supplied in monthly_searches, and the advertiser competition index. It is a heuristic for sorting research, not a forecast of financial return.

• 70–100: the Actor returns a strong-value recommendation; validate relevance and feasibility before acting.
• 45–69: validate against the search results and a content brief.
• 0–44: lower priority under this scoring model, not proof that the keyword cannot work.

Google Ads competition describes advertiser competition, not organic SEO keyword difficulty. CPC is not your expected revenue or guaranteed acquisition cost. Missing metrics use defaults in the calculation, so inspect supporting data before relying on a score. This tool cannot calculate actual ROI without your conversion rates, margins, traffic assumptions, and delivery costs.

Pricing and limits

• $0.25 per keyword batch, containing up to 100 keywords in one run. The event is keyword-batch-scored.
• A batch of 5 keywords and a batch of 100 keywords each cost one $0.25 report event. Two separate batches cost $0.50 in report events.
• The displayed rate of $250 per 1,000 batches is the same unit price; it is not $250 per 1,000 individual keywords.
• DataForSEO access is included. An Apify paid plan is required separately; consult Apify's Pricing tab and your plan for the full applicable charges.
• Billing is reserved before the upstream request. An API error or unavailable results can therefore occur after the report event has been charged.
• Duplicate and blank keyword entries are removed. Invalid or over-limit inputs stop before report billing; split lists longer than 100 keywords into separate runs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Google Ads account or a DataForSEO API key?

No. The publisher provides the DataForSEO connection. You need a paid Apify plan for live runs. An Apify API token is needed only if you call the Actor programmatically rather than using Console.

Is this a Google Keyword Planner replacement?

It retrieves Google Ads keyword metrics through DataForSEO for a supplied list. It does not provide the entire Keyword Planner interface, generate suggestions, or manage campaigns. It is an independent Actor, not an official Google product.

Can I use it from Python, JavaScript, or an automation workflow?

Yes. Open the API tab for integration examples, import the n8n workflow for a planning CSV or Google Sheets field mapping, or configure the Actor as an MCP tool. The existing Actor ID and URL are unchanged from Keyword ROI Scorer.

Why did a run return no keyword data?

Read the run status and RUN_SUMMARY. Free-plan access, insufficient report-event budget, missing provider results, or an upstream error can prevent live results. Provider spending limits may temporarily stop requests; do not repeatedly retry an unchanged failure.

Next step

Try the five-keyword input above on a paid Apify plan, export the results, and decide whether the shortlist fits your research process. For a keyword that merits further investigation, SERP Content Brief Generator is a separate, separately billed next step.

Questions or unexpected results? Open an issue on this Actor with the run ID and a description of the problem. Do not post API tokens or confidential client inputs.