# Keyword Search Volume – Google CPC, Difficulty, Trends (`rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume`) Actor

Google keyword search volume, CPC, competition, 12-month history, trend, keyword difficulty and search intent for keyword lists, plus keyword ideas. Licensed Google Ads data for 94 countries. Ahrefs / Semrush alternative for bulk keyword research.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume.md
- **Developed by:** [RT SOLUTIONS](https://apify.com/rt-solutions) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.50 / 1,000 keywords

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Keyword Search Volume – Google CPC, Difficulty, Trends

Get **Google search volume, CPC, competition, monthly history, trend, keyword difficulty and search intent** for keyword lists — or **discover keyword ideas** with the same metrics. 94 countries, thousands of keywords per run.

Data is **licensed Google Ads data** from DataForSEO (the provider behind many SEO tools), not scraped: no blocks, no captchas, consistent numbers.

### Why this one

| | This Actor | Typical keyword volume Actors |
|---|---|---|
| Price | **$3 per 1,000 keywords** + $0.02 per request (700 keywords) | $10–11 per 1,000, or $0.25–0.40 per batch |
| Metrics | volume, CPC, competition, top‑of‑page bids, 12‑month history, trend %, **keyword difficulty**, **search intent**, SERP features, backlinks needed to rank | volume + CPC |
| Ideas | long‑tail suggestions or related keywords, sorted by volume | often separate tools |
| Not found | free | often charged |
| Source | licensed data | scraped tools that break |

### Input examples

Metrics for a list:

```json
{ "keywords": ["running shoes", "best running shoes for flat feet", "trail running shoes women"], "country": "United States" }
```

100 long‑tail ideas in French with at least 100 searches/month:

```json
{ "mode": "ideas", "keywords": ["chaussures de running"], "country": "France", "maxIdeasPerSeed": 100, "minSearchVolume": 100 }
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "keyword": "crm software",
  "country": "United States",
  "language": "en",
  "searchVolume": 201000,
  "cpc": 37.13,
  "monthlySearches": [{ "month": "2026-09", "searchVolume": 201000 }],
  "trendPercent": { "monthly": 174, "quarterly": 174, "yearly": 233 },
  "keywordDifficulty": 59,
  "searchIntent": "commercial",
  "source": "Google (DataForSEO, licensed)"
}
```

(shortened — every row also has competition, top‑of‑page bids, SERP features and the backlinks needed to rank)

### Use cases

- **SEO & content**: pick the topics with volume and low difficulty.
- **PPC**: CPC and bids to budget Google Ads campaigns.
- **Market research**: compare demand across 94 countries and its 12‑month trend.
- **Agencies & SaaS**: bulk keyword metrics through the Apify API.

### Pricing

- **$3 per 1,000 keywords** with data ($2.50 on higher Apify plans) + **$0.02 per data request** (one request = up to 700 keywords, or one seed in ideas mode).
- Keywords not found and keywords below your minimum volume are **not charged**.

### Apify free plan

On the **Apify free plan** you get **one free trial run** (up to 10 keywords) with no setup. After that, add **your own DataForSEO API login** in the "Apify free plan" section (DataForSEO gives $1 of free credit at sign‑up, about 8,000 keywords), or use a paid Apify plan — no key needed and no limit. A blocked run stops immediately with a message and nothing is charged.

### Good to know

- Volumes are Google Ads monthly averages (rounded by Google, e.g. 9,900 / 12,100).
- Very rare or brand‑new phrases may be missing from the database: they come back as `status: "not_found"` (free).
- Countries: 94, each with its main languages (`language` optional).

### Related scrapers

- [Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/rt-solutions/google-trends-scraper)
- [Semrush Website Traffic Scraper](https://apify.com/rt-solutions/semrush-website-traffic-scraper)
- [Google Ads Transparency Scraper](https://apify.com/rt-solutions/google-ads-transparency-scraper)

# Actor input Schema

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

Search volume and metrics for your list, or new keyword ideas (with the same metrics) from seed keywords.

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

One per line. Up to thousands per run (sent in batches of 700). In ideas mode, each line is a seed.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Google search data for this country (94 countries).

## `language` (type: `string`):

e.g. en, fr, de, es, ar. Empty = main language of the country.

## `ideasType` (type: `string`):

Ideas mode only.

## `maxIdeasPerSeed` (type: `integer`):

Ideas mode only. Sorted by search volume.

## `minSearchVolume` (type: `integer`):

Keywords below this volume are dropped (and not charged).

## `historyMonths` (type: `integer`):

Monthly search volumes returned per keyword. 0 = all available (up to ~8 years).

## `dataForSeoLogin` (type: `string`):

Only needed on the Apify free plan. Paid Apify plans need no key.

## `dataForSeoPassword` (type: `string`):

From app.dataforseo.com → API Access.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "metrics",
  "keywords": [
    "running shoes",
    "best running shoes for flat feet",
    "trail running shoes women"
  ],
  "country": "United States",
  "ideasType": "suggestions",
  "maxIdeasPerSeed": 100,
  "minSearchVolume": 0,
  "historyMonths": 12
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per keyword with all metrics.

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Main metrics.

# 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",
        "best running shoes for flat feet",
        "trail running shoes women"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume").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",
        "best running shoes for flat feet",
        "trail running shoes women",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).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",
    "best running shoes for flat feet",
    "trail running shoes women"
  ]
}' |
apify call rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,rt-solutions/keyword-search-volume"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/3CR4sov2R1arq1GKo/builds/pmUZuBZ2idl8KaITV/openapi.json