# SEO MCP Server: Keyword, SERP & Backlink Data (`steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server`) Actor

MCP server for AI agents: Google keyword volume & difficulty, live SERP rank checks, domain traffic, ranked keywords, backlinks, Google Trends and YouTube stats. 8 read-only tools, pay per successful call.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server.md
- **Developed by:** [SteadyScrape](https://apify.com/steady-scrape) (community)
- **Categories:** MCP servers, SEO tools, Agents
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.10 / 1,000 google serp (10 results)s

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
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

## SEO Data MCP Server: Keywords, SERP, Backlinks, Trends

An **MCP server** that gives your AI agent (Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT connectors, n8n, LangChain, any MCP client) live SEO and search data through 8 read-only tools. No API keys to manage, no monthly plan: you pay per successful tool call through your Apify account.

### Tools

| Tool | What it returns |
|---|---|
| `keyword_metrics` | Google search volume, CPC, competition, keyword difficulty, search intent and 12-month trend for up to 100 keywords |
| `google_serp` | Live Google top 10–100 for a keyword (country, language, device), SERP features, AI Overview text, People Also Ask, and the position of a domain you name |
| `domain_overview` | Estimated organic traffic, ranking keywords, backlinks and referring domains for up to 100 domains |
| `ranked_keywords` | Keywords a domain or URL ranks for, with position, URL, volume and estimated visits |
| `backlinks` | Backlinks or referring domains for a domain/URL, strongest first (dofollow filter) |
| `google_trends` | Google Trends interest over time for up to 5 keywords (web, YouTube, news, images, shopping) |
| `youtube_search` | YouTube results for a query in ranked order with views, channel, duration and date |
| `youtube_video` | Public stats for a video (views, likes, comments, subscribers, tags) and optional transcript |

Every tool is read-only and works on public data. No logins, no personal data.

### Connect

Server URL (Streamable HTTP):

```
https://steady-scrape-1--seo-data-mcp-server.apify.actor/mcp
```

Authenticate with your Apify API token as a Bearer header.

**Claude Desktop / Cursor (`mcp.json`):**

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seo-data": {
      "url": "https://steady-scrape-1--seo-data-mcp-server.apify.actor/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}
```

**Python (official MCP SDK):**

```python
from mcp import ClientSession
from mcp.client.streamable_http import streamable_http_client
import httpx2

async with httpx2.AsyncClient(headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}) as hc:
    async with streamable_http_client(URL, http_client=hc) as (r, w, *_):
        async with ClientSession(r, w) as s:
            await s.initialize()
            res = await s.call_tool("google_serp", {"keyword": "best crm for startups", "target_domain": "hubspot.com"})
```

### Example prompts

- "Find 20 keyword ideas around *home espresso machine* and give me volume and difficulty for each."
- "Where does example.com rank for *project management software* in the UK on mobile?"
- "Compare organic traffic and referring domains for these 5 competitors."
- "Is interest in *pickleball paddles* growing? Show 5-year Google Trends vs *tennis racket*."

### Pricing

Pay per successful tool call. No subscription, and no Apify compute charges on top.

| Tool | Price (Free plan) |
|---|---|
| `google_serp` | $0.006 per 10 results of depth ($0.60 per 1,000 results) |
| `keyword_metrics` | $0.039 per 10 keywords that return data |
| `domain_overview` | $0.111 per 10 domains |
| `ranked_keywords` | $0.071 per call (up to 100 keywords) |
| `backlinks` | $0.082 per call (up to 100 rows) |
| `google_trends` | $0.035 per call |
| `youtube_search` | $0.006 per 20 results |
| `youtube_video` | $0.018 per video, plus $0.018 if you ask for the transcript |
| Session start | $0.005 once per session, only when a call returns data |

Paid Apify plans get lower tool prices: Bronze 5% off, Silver 10% off, Gold and above 15% off.

Example session costs (Free plan):

| Session | Cost |
|---|---|
| Rank check: 5 keywords, top 10 each | $0.035 |
| One deep SERP: top 100 for 1 keyword | $0.065 |
| Keyword research: 100 keywords | $0.395 |
| Competitor audit: 10 domains + 2 ranked-keyword lists + 1 backlink list | $0.340 |
| YouTube research: 2 searches + 5 videos, 3 with transcripts | $0.161 |

### Billing

- You are charged only when a call returns data. Errors, invalid arguments and empty results are free.
- Each tool's description says what one call costs in units (for example per 10 keywords, per 10 SERP results, per video).
- The response's `billing` field shows what was charged for that call.
- Set a maximum charge per session in your Apify settings; the server refuses calls that would go over it before fetching anything.

### Limits

- Up to 60 tool calls per minute per session; 4 run in parallel.
- Free Apify plans have a small daily allowance for this server; paid plans have a higher one.
- Results are live, so a deep SERP (100 results) takes about 15 seconds; most tools answer in 1–5 seconds.

### One-off runs without MCP

Run the Actor normally with input `{"calls": [{"tool": "keyword_metrics", "arguments": {"keywords": ["seo tools"]}}]}`. Each call becomes one dataset row.

### FAQ

**Where does the data come from?** Licensed SEO data APIs (Google SERP, keyword and backlink indexes), queried live.

**Do I need my own SEO API key?** No.

**Is it the same data as the SteadyScrape Actors?** Yes: keyword volume, domain metrics, backlinks, rank tracking, Google Trends and YouTube stats, packaged as MCP tools for agents.

### More from SteadyScrape

- [Keyword Search Volume](https://apify.com/steady-scrape/keyword-search-volume): Google search volume, CPC, competition and a 12-month trend for up to 10,000 keywords per run, as a regular Actor for bulk jobs.
- [Bulk Domain Rank & Traffic Checker](https://apify.com/steady-scrape/domain-seo-metrics): domain rank, backlinks, referring domains, spam score and estimated Google traffic for up to 10,000 domains.
- [Google Rank Tracker API: Daily Keyword Positions](https://apify.com/steady-scrape/google-rank-tracker): scheduled daily rank tracking with SERP features, AI Overview, top competitors and changes since the last run.
- [Backlink Checker API: New and Lost Link Monitor](https://apify.com/steady-scrape/backlink-explorer): full backlink lists and referring domains, plus a scheduled monitor for new and lost links.

See every **SteadyScrape (steady-scrape)** Actor on [our Apify profile](https://apify.com/steady-scrape).

# Actor input Schema

## `calls` (type: `array`):

Optional. Up to 50 calls, each {"tool": "<name>", "arguments": {...}}. Tools: keyword_metrics, google_serp, domain_overview, ranked_keywords, backlinks, google_trends, youtube_search, youtube_video.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "calls": [
    {
      "tool": "keyword_metrics",
      "arguments": {
        "keywords": [
          "seo tools",
          "backlink checker"
        ],
        "country": "US"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Call counts and charged events for a batch 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 = {
    "calls": [
        {
            "tool": "keyword_metrics",
            "arguments": {
                "keywords": [
                    "seo tools",
                    "backlink checker"
                ],
                "country": "US"
            }
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server").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 = { "calls": [{
            "tool": "keyword_metrics",
            "arguments": {
                "keywords": [
                    "seo tools",
                    "backlink checker",
                ],
                "country": "US",
            },
        }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server").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 '{
  "calls": [
    {
      "tool": "keyword_metrics",
      "arguments": {
        "keywords": [
          "seo tools",
          "backlink checker"
        ],
        "country": "US"
      }
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,steady-scrape/seo-data-mcp-server"
        }
    }
}
```

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/vlXEkJSqCToi3cXwk/builds/3HEW9kNLQKhWAAOku/openapi.json