# Keyword Research & SERP API — Volume, CPC, Difficulty + AI (`dltik/keyword-serp-research`) Actor

All-in-one SEO data: keyword research (volume, CPC, difficulty, intent), SERP analysis (organic, PAA, featured snippets), domain ranked keywords, competitor gap, and Google AI Overview visibility. Accurate licensed data — no Semrush/Ahrefs subscription needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/dltik/keyword-serp-research.md
- **Developed by:** [Walid](https://apify.com/dltik) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Marketing, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 4 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$4.00 / 1,000 result returneds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

## Keyword Research & SERP API — Volume, CPC, Difficulty + AI Visibility

⭐ **Bookmark this actor** — Apify ranks actors by bookmarks, so one click keeps accurate keyword and SERP data one run away.

All-in-one **keyword research and SERP analysis** powered by licensed SEO data. Get search volume, CPC, keyword difficulty, search intent, People-Also-Ask, ranked keywords, competitor gaps, and **Google AI Overview** citations — **without a Semrush, Ahrefs or Moz subscription**. Bulk input, 50+ countries and languages, pay only per result.

### What this Keyword Research & SERP API does

This **Keyword Research & SERP API** turns one Apify run into accurate, structured SEO data. Unlike scrapers that read capped free widgets, it returns licensed metrics, so the numbers match what you'd see inside a paid SEO suite. Pick a `mode` and submit your keywords or domain:

| Mode | What you get |
|---|---|
| `keyword_research` | Seed keyword → hundreds of ideas with **search volume, CPC, competition, keyword difficulty, search intent, 12-month trend** |
| `serp_analysis` | Keyword → top **organic results**, **featured snippet**, **People-Also-Ask** questions, related searches |
| `domain_analysis` | Domain → every **keyword it ranks for**, with position, search volume and CPC |
| `competitor_gap` | Competitor + your domain → keywords **they rank for and you don't** |
| `ai_visibility` | Keyword → does **Google AI Overview** appear, which **domains are cited**, and is yours? |

### Why use this Keyword Research & SERP API

- **No subscription needed** — no Semrush, Ahrefs or Moz login. Pay $0.004 per result, nothing else.
- **Accurate, licensed data** — not scraped free-widget estimates that break and cap out.
- **Five tools in one** — keyword research, SERP, domain, competitor gap, and AI visibility share one input.
- **AI Overview tracking** — see exactly which sites Google's AI Overview cites for your keywords. This is where classic SEO meets [GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)](https://apify.com/dltik/geo-visibility-score).
- **Bulk + global** — submit lists of keywords, target any of 50+ countries and languages.

### Input

```json
{
  "mode": "keyword_research",
  "keywords": ["running shoes"],
  "locationName": "United States",
  "languageCode": "en",
  "maxResults": 200
}
````

SERP / AI visibility example:

```json
{
  "mode": "ai_visibility",
  "keywords": ["best crm for startups", "what is rag"],
  "yourDomain": "example.com",
  "locationName": "United States",
  "languageCode": "en"
}
```

Competitor gap example:

```json
{
  "mode": "competitor_gap",
  "competitorDomain": "competitor.com",
  "domain": "example.com",
  "locationName": "United States",
  "languageCode": "en",
  "maxResults": 500
}
```

### Output

One JSON record per result row. Shape depends on the mode — e.g. a `keyword_research` row:

```json
{
  "_type": "keyword",
  "keyword": "trail running shoes",
  "search_volume": 49500,
  "cpc": 0.72,
  "competition": 0.41,
  "competition_level": "MEDIUM",
  "keyword_difficulty": 38,
  "search_intent": "commercial",
  "trend_pct": 12.5
}
```

An `ai_visibility` row tells you whether Google's AI Overview triggered and who it cited:

```json
{
  "_type": "ai_visibility",
  "keyword": "best crm for startups",
  "ai_overview_present": true,
  "cited_domains": ["hubspot.com", "zapier.com", "g2.com"],
  "cited_count": 3,
  "your_domain_cited": false
}
```

Export to JSON, CSV or Excel from the dataset.

### Pricing

**PAY\_PER\_EVENT — $0.004 per result returned** (= $4.00 per 1,000). You only pay for the rows you receive. Free Apify plan runs are capped at 25 results so you can try every mode before upgrading.

### Use cases

- **Keyword research at scale** — build content plans with real volume, CPC and difficulty.
- **SERP & SEO audits** — pull organic competitors and People-Also-Ask for any keyword.
- **Competitor analysis** — find the keywords rivals rank for and you don't.
- **AI search visibility** — track Google AI Overview citations and protect your share of voice.

### Related actors

- [SEO Data Extractor — On-Page Tags for Any URL](https://apify.com/dltik/seo-data-extractor)
- [GEO Visibility Score — AI Brand Monitoring](https://apify.com/dltik/geo-visibility-score)
- [GEO Competitor Research — AI Share of Voice & Gap](https://apify.com/dltik/geo-competitor-research)

### Author

[dltik](https://apify.com/dltik)

### License

MIT

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to fetch. keyword\_research: seed keywords -> ideas with volume/CPC/difficulty/intent. serp\_analysis: keyword -> organic results, People-Also-Ask, featured snippet. domain\_analysis: domain -> the keywords it ranks for. competitor\_gap: keywords a competitor ranks for but your domain does not. ai\_visibility: does Google AI Overview trigger for a keyword and which domains are cited.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

List of keywords. Used by keyword\_research (as seeds for idea expansion), serp\_analysis, and ai\_visibility. Ignored for domain\_analysis and competitor\_gap.

## `domain` (type: `string`):

Domain without protocol, e.g. 'example.com'. Used by domain\_analysis (the domain to analyze) and competitor\_gap (your domain — the one that should NOT rank for the gap keywords).

## `competitorDomain` (type: `string`):

Competitor domain without protocol, e.g. 'competitor.com'. Used by competitor\_gap as the domain that DOES rank for the gap keywords.

## `yourDomain` (type: `string`):

Optional. For ai\_visibility mode: if set, each result flags whether this domain is cited in the Google AI Overview for that keyword.

## `locationName` (type: `string`):

Full location name as used by Google, e.g. 'United States', 'France', 'United Kingdom'. Controls search volumes and SERP geography.

## `languageCode` (type: `string`):

Two-letter language code, e.g. 'en', 'fr', 'de', 'es'.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of result rows to return (and be charged for). Default 200, max 1000. Free Apify plan is capped at 25 for a demo.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "keyword_research",
  "keywords": [
    "running shoes"
  ],
  "locationName": "United States",
  "languageCode": "en",
  "maxResults": 200
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All result rows for the run.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "keywords": [
        "running shoes"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("dltik/keyword-serp-research").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "keywords": ["running shoes"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("dltik/keyword-serp-research").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "keywords": [
    "running shoes"
  ]
}' |
apify call dltik/keyword-serp-research --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=dltik/keyword-serp-research",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Keyword Research & SERP API — Volume, CPC, Difficulty + AI",
        "description": "All-in-one SEO data: keyword research (volume, CPC, difficulty, intent), SERP analysis (organic, PAA, featured snippets), domain ranked keywords, competitor gap, and Google AI Overview visibility. Accurate licensed data — no Semrush/Ahrefs subscription needed.",
        "version": "1.0",
        "x-build-id": "ekfN4conlTmui5dbk"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/dltik~keyword-serp-research/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-dltik-keyword-serp-research",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/dltik~keyword-serp-research/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-dltik-keyword-serp-research",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/dltik~keyword-serp-research/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-dltik-keyword-serp-research",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "mode"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "mode": {
                        "title": "Mode",
                        "enum": [
                            "keyword_research",
                            "serp_analysis",
                            "domain_analysis",
                            "competitor_gap",
                            "ai_visibility"
                        ],
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "What to fetch. keyword_research: seed keywords -> ideas with volume/CPC/difficulty/intent. serp_analysis: keyword -> organic results, People-Also-Ask, featured snippet. domain_analysis: domain -> the keywords it ranks for. competitor_gap: keywords a competitor ranks for but your domain does not. ai_visibility: does Google AI Overview trigger for a keyword and which domains are cited.",
                        "default": "keyword_research"
                    },
                    "keywords": {
                        "title": "Keywords / seed keywords",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "List of keywords. Used by keyword_research (as seeds for idea expansion), serp_analysis, and ai_visibility. Ignored for domain_analysis and competitor_gap.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "domain": {
                        "title": "Your domain",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Domain without protocol, e.g. 'example.com'. Used by domain_analysis (the domain to analyze) and competitor_gap (your domain — the one that should NOT rank for the gap keywords)."
                    },
                    "competitorDomain": {
                        "title": "Competitor domain",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Competitor domain without protocol, e.g. 'competitor.com'. Used by competitor_gap as the domain that DOES rank for the gap keywords."
                    },
                    "yourDomain": {
                        "title": "Your domain (AI visibility check)",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Optional. For ai_visibility mode: if set, each result flags whether this domain is cited in the Google AI Overview for that keyword."
                    },
                    "locationName": {
                        "title": "Location",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Full location name as used by Google, e.g. 'United States', 'France', 'United Kingdom'. Controls search volumes and SERP geography.",
                        "default": "United States"
                    },
                    "languageCode": {
                        "title": "Language code",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Two-letter language code, e.g. 'en', 'fr', 'de', 'es'.",
                        "default": "en"
                    },
                    "maxResults": {
                        "title": "Max results",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 1000,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Maximum number of result rows to return (and be charged for). Default 200, max 1000. Free Apify plan is capped at 25 for a demo.",
                        "default": 200
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```