Keyword Search Volume Finder — Ahrefs Alternative

What is Keyword Search Volume Finder?

Keyword Search Volume Finder returns keyword ideas and Google search volumes for any seed phrase, one dataset row per keyword, ready to sort, filter and export. Each keyword comes with monthly search volume, a 12-month trend, cost per click, competition, keyword difficulty and search intent, sourced from DataForSEO's Google keyword data. There is nothing to sign up for beyond Apify: no DataForSEO account, no Ahrefs subscription, and you pay only for the keywords you get.

It is built for SEO specialists, content marketers, PPC managers and AI agents that need keyword numbers inside a spreadsheet, script or automated workflow.

Why use it instead of a keyword research subscription

• Pay per keyword. No monthly plan to keep; a 25-keyword check costs 25 keyword events.
• Everything in one row. Volume, a 12-month trend, CPC, competition, difficulty and intent sit together, ready to sort in a sheet.
• Built for automation. Schedule it, call it from code, or let an AI agent run it through Apify MCP.
• Traceable numbers. Every row names the DataForSEO endpoint, task ID and retrieval time.

How to use it: two modes

You have	Mode	What you get
A topic or seed phrase, such as project management software	keyword_ideas	Related keyword ideas with volume, CPC, competition, difficulty and intent
A list of keywords you already chose	search_volume	Google Ads search volume, CPC and competition for exactly those phrases

Find new keywords from a seed topic:

{
  "mode": "keyword_ideas",
  "seedKeywords": ["project management software"],
  "locationCode": 2840,
  "languageCode": "en",
  "maxResults": 25,
  "minSearchVolume": 100
}

Check volume for keywords you already have:

{
  "mode": "search_volume",
  "seedKeywords": ["keyword research", "keyword research tool", "free keyword tool"],
  "locationCode": 2840,
  "languageCode": "en"
}

Each run accepts 1–10 seed phrases and returns up to 50 keyword rows. For hundreds of keywords at once, start with Keyword Search Volume API (linked below) instead. Use minSearchVolume to drop long-tail terms below a volume floor, and includeSerpInfo to add the SERP features shown for each keyword idea.

What each keyword metric means

Field	Meaning	How to use it
searchVolume	Average monthly Google searches in the chosen market	Size of the opportunity
monthlySearches	Search volume for each of the last 12 months	Spot seasonality before you publish
cpcUsd	Average cost per click advertisers pay, in USD	Commercial value of the keyword
competition, competitionLevel	Advertiser competition from 0 to 1, and LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH	Paid-search crowding
keywordDifficulty	0–100 estimate of how hard it is to rank organically (keyword ideas mode)	Pick winnable topics
searchIntent	Main intent: informational, commercial, transactional or navigational (keyword ideas mode)	Match content type to the query
serpFeatures	SERP features seen for the keyword, when includeSerpInfo is on	Plan for snippets, videos or local packs

Volumes and CPC are Google Ads estimates for the location and language you choose, so compare keywords inside the same market.

Output: keyword data you receive

One dataset row is one keyword. This row is copied from a real run for the seed project management software:

{
  "mode": "keyword_ideas",
  "keyword": "asana project management software",
  "seedKeywords": ["project management software"],
  "searchVolume": 18100,
  "cpcUsd": 8.6,
  "competition": 0.12,
  "competitionLevel": "LOW",
  "keywordDifficulty": 47,
  "searchIntent": "commercial",
  "serpFeatures": [],
  "locationCode": 2840,
  "languageCode": "en",
  "providerTaskId": "09292132-1258-0400-0000-0c67b5d4ae56",
  "retrievedAt": "2026-09-29T21:32:04.255Z",
  "provenance": {
    "source": "DataForSEO API v3",
    "endpoint": "dataforseo_labs/google/keyword_ideas/live"
  }
}

The same run also returned free project management software (4,400 searches, difficulty 45, informational), open source project management software (590, difficulty 33) and google project management tool (880, difficulty 6), which shows how quickly the ideas mode surfaces easier long-tail angles.

Markets: location and language codes

locationCode uses Google Ads location IDs. Common ones:

Market	locationCode	languageCode
United States	2840	en
United Kingdom	2826	en
Canada	2124	en
Australia	2036	en
India	2356	en
Germany	2276	de
France	2250	fr
Spain	2724	es
Brazil	2076	pt

How this keyword tool compares with Ahrefs

What you care about	This Actor	Ahrefs
Scope	Keyword ideas and search volume as data rows	A full SEO suite: backlinks, site audit, rank tracking, content research and keyword research
Billing	Pay per keyword row, no subscription	Monthly or annual subscription plans
Getting started	Seed phrases and an Apify account	An Ahrefs account on a paid plan for full Keywords Explorer use
Output	One structured row per keyword, with volume, CPC, competition, difficulty, intent and a 12-month trend	Interactive reports and exports
Integrations and automation	Apify API, schedules, webhooks and Apify MCP, so usable keyword rows flow straight into code, sheets or an AI agent	Ahrefs web app and API on its plans
Provenance	Every row records the DataForSEO endpoint, task ID and retrieval time	Tool-level data freshness

Choose this Actor for the keyword research step inside an automated workflow or when you only need keyword numbers now and then. Choose Ahrefs when you also need backlinks, site audits, rank tracking history or a shared team workspace.

Ahrefs is a trademark of its owner. This independent Actor is not affiliated with, associated with, or endorsed by Ahrefs.

Example workflow: from a seed topic to a content plan

A content marketer at a SaaS company starts with the seed project management software in keyword_ideas mode with minSearchVolume set to 100. They sort the rows by keywordDifficulty, keep ideas under 35 with commercial intent, and check monthlySearches to see which terms peak in January. Then they pass the shortlist into search_volume mode for the UK and Australia to compare markets, export everything to a spreadsheet, and schedule the same input monthly to track how volumes move.

Pricing

This Actor uses Pay per event. Apify platform usage is included in the event prices, and DataForSEO access is included, so you pay only for results: one event per keyword row saved, plus one start event per run. The live Pricing tab on this page shows the current event prices.

• 25 keyword ideas = 25 keyword events + 1 start event.
• A 10-keyword volume check = 10 keyword events + 1 start event.
• minSearchVolume is applied before saving, so filtered-out keywords are free.

Set a maximum charge per run in the run options to cap spend.

Keyword research with AI agents (MCP)

Connect this Actor to an AI agent through Apify MCP and ask in plain language:

Find 20 US keyword ideas for "project management software" with at least 100 monthly searches. Return keyword, search volume, CPC, keyword difficulty and intent, sorted by difficulty, and tell me the run outcome.

Agent checklist:

1. Choose keyword_ideas to discover terms or search_volume to measure a known list.
2. Set locationCode and languageCode for the market, and maxResults for the rows needed.
3. Read rows with get-dataset-items, then read OUTPUT.outcome (COMPLETE, PARTIAL, VALID_EMPTY, INVALID_INPUT, UPSTREAM_FAILED or CONFIG_ERROR).
4. Keep provenance.endpoint and retrievedAt when citing a number.

API example

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/khadinakbar~dataforseo-keyword-research/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"mode": "keyword_ideas", "seedKeywords": ["project management software"], "locationCode": 2840, "languageCode": "en", "maxResults": 25}'

Related SEO tools from the same developer

Your next step	Use	Why
When you need volume for hundreds of keywords at once	Keyword Search Volume API	Bulk Google volume and CPC for long keyword lists
When you then want to monitor where you rank	Keyword Rank Tracker	Live Google positions for your domain
When you want to analyze interest over time and by region	Google Trends Scraper	Trend lines and rising related queries
When you want to analyze backlinks next to keywords	Keyword & Backlink Analyzer	Backlink data for a domain
When you want to search who ranks today for a keyword	Google SERP Scraper	Organic results, ads, AI Overviews and People Also Ask

Best results

Starting situation	Helpful action	Expected outcome
A broad topic	Use keyword_ideas with minSearchVolume 100 or more	Ideas worth writing about
A fixed list from a brief	Use search_volume	Exact numbers for exactly those phrases
Planning for another country	Set locationCode and languageCode together	Market-accurate volume and CPC
Seasonal products	Read monthlySearches	Publish ahead of the peak month

Builder's note

I built the two modes on separate DataForSEO endpoints because discovering new keywords and measuring a fixed list answer different questions and return different fields. I learned that SEO teams want to trace a number back to its source, so each row keeps the endpoint, provider task ID and retrieval time.

FAQ

Do I need a DataForSEO or Ahrefs account?

No. DataForSEO access is included. You only need an Apify account.

How accurate is the search volume?

It is Google Ads monthly search volume for the chosen market. Treat it as a planning estimate and compare keywords inside one market.

What is the difference between keyword ideas and search volume modes?

keyword_ideas discovers related phrases and adds difficulty and intent. search_volume measures only the phrases you give it.

How many keywords can I get per run?

Up to 50 keyword rows from 1–10 seed phrases. For hundreds of keywords at once, use Keyword Search Volume API.

Can I get keywords for other countries and languages?

Yes. Set locationCode and languageCode, for example 2826 and en for the United Kingdom.

Responsible use

Keyword metrics are aggregated, non-personal market estimates. Use them in line with DataForSEO's and Google's terms. Read Apify's guide on whether web scraping is legal for more context. For questions or bugs, open a ticket in the Issues tab.