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Use cases · Data & Web

Best APIs for Historical SEO Data

APIs that expose historical keyword, ranking, and visibility data for trend analysis over time.

Required capability: Historical data.

Our pick: DataForSEO

DataForSEO is a usage-based REST API for SEO and digital-marketing data, covering SERPs, keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking, and on-page and content analysis across 94,000+ locations on Google, Bing, YouTube, and more. It is self-serve with transparent pay-per-request pricing from $0.0006 per request plus a $1 signup credit. Integration is REST with basic auth, webhooks, an official MCP server, and four SDKs. The platform is GDPR and ISO 27001 compliant, though no public SLA is offered. Launched 2016.

Best for: AI agents and automation - an agent-ready surface (MCP / llms.txt); Teams needing broad API coverage out of the box; Cost-sensitive teams - low, transparent entry price.

Avoid if: You want to try it free before paying

DataForSEO profile →

Best for…

Best overall
DataForSEO - our default pick: strongest across pricing, trust and breadth
Best free pick
Keywords Everywhere - free tier: There is also a free tier for the free features including LLM Prompt Templates, Instagram…
Best for enterprise
DataForSEO - for regulated or large teams: enterprise plan
Cheapest to start
Moz API - from $5 month to start; compare on your real usage, not the entry price
Best for agents
DataForSEO - easiest to wire up programmatically: MCP server
Broadest surface
SE Ranking - 156 documented actions; breadth isn't quality, but it's the most to build on

Ranked (9)

  • #1 DataForSEO

    60 / 100
    • Best overall
    • Best for enterprise
    • Best for agents

    DataForSEO is a usage-based REST API for SEO and digital-marketing data, covering SERPs, keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking, and on-page and content analysis across 94,000+ locations on Google, Bing, YouTube, and more. It is self-serve with transparent pay-per-request pricing from $0.0006 per request plus a $1 signup credit. Integration is REST with basic auth, webhooks, an official MCP server, and four SDKs. The platform is GDPR and ISO 27001 compliant, though no public SLA is offered. Launched 2016.

    PricingUsage · from $0.0006 request · free tier ✗
    TrustGDPR · ISO 27001
    Does
    • Historical data
    • AI Overview tracking
    • Local / geo data
    • Multiple search engines
    • Competitor analysis
    • Search intent
    • PPC / ad data
    • Clickstream data
    • Bulk / batch
    • Real-time
    Used byThe Links Guy
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    DataForSEO profile →

  • #2 Google Ads API

    65 / 100

    Google Keyword Planner, accessed through the Google Ads API, generates keyword ideas, historical metrics, and forecasts for campaign planning. It is a gRPC API using OAuth2, with eight official client libraries and an MCP server, and is self-serve for developers with a Google Ads account. The API is GDPR and ISO 27001 compliant. Best for teams already building on Google Ads that need programmatic keyword data.

    Pricing- · free tier ✓
    TrustGDPR · ISO 27001
    Does
    • Historical data
    • Local / geo data
    • PPC / ad data
    The catchFree, but historical search volumes come bucketed into broad ranges; fine for rough sizing, not precise tracking.

    Google Ads API profile →

  • #3 Ahrefs API

    56 / 100

    Ahrefs API exposes the data behind Ahrefs' SEO toolset for custom integrations: keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audits, and brand visibility across search and AI platforms. It is a REST API with API-key auth and an official MCP server. Pricing is published and self-serve, starting at $449/month as an Ahrefs subscription, with GDPR and ISO 27001 compliance and SOC 2 in progress. Launched 2010.

    PricingHybrid · from $449 month · free tier ✗
    TrustSOC 2 In progress · GDPR · ISO 27001
    Does
    • Historical data
    • AI Overview tracking
    • Multiple search engines
    • Competitor analysis
    • Search intent
    • Clickstream data
    • Bulk / batch
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    Ahrefs API profile →

  • #4 Serpstat API

    58 / 100

    Serpstat is a cost-focused SEO data API covering keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audits, competitor analysis, and SERP crawling across 243 countries. The REST API uses API-key auth, an official MCP server, and five SDKs. Pricing is a published, self-serve subscription from $100/month. It is GDPR compliant. Used by Deloitte, Rakuten, Visa, and Uber.

    PricingSubscription · from $100 month · free tier ✗
    TrustGDPR
    Does
    • Historical data
    • Local / geo data
    • Multiple search engines
    • Competitor analysis
    • PPC / ad data
    • Bulk / batch
    Used byDeloitte, Rakuten, Visa, Uber
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    Serpstat API profile →

  • #5 Semrush API

    53 / 100

    Semrush API extracts the platform's SEO and PPC data programmatically, covering organic and paid keywords, competitive analysis, ad history, and local SEO, with an MCP server for AI integration. It is a REST API supporting API-key and OAuth2 auth across 140+ countries. Pricing is published and self-serve, starting around $456/month. It is GDPR and PCI DSS compliant. Used by Samsung, LG, and Disney.

    PricingHybrid · from $455.67 month · free tier ✗
    TrustGDPR · PCI DSS
    Does
    • Historical data
    • AI Overview tracking
    • Local / geo data
    • Competitor analysis
    • Search intent
    • PPC / ad data
    • Clickstream data
    • Bulk / batch
    Used bySamsung, LG, ZoomInfo, Disney
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    Semrush API profile →

  • #6 Keywords Everywhere

    54 / 100
    • Best free pick

    Keywords Everywhere exposes search volume, CPC, competition, related keywords, and traffic and backlink data through a single REST API. It uses API-key auth and an official MCP server. Pricing is published and self-serve on a credit model from $84 per 100,000 credits per year, with 18 features such as related keywords and YouTube metrics usable without credits. It is GDPR compliant. Used by Adobe, the American Red Cross, Bayer, and the BBC.

    PricingHybrid · from $84 100,000 credits/year · free tier ✓
    TrustGDPR
    Does
    • Historical data
    • Bulk / batch
    Used byAdobe, American Red Cross, Bayer, BBC
    Avoid ifYou have strict compliance requirements

    Keywords Everywhere profile →

  • #7 Moz API

    56 / 100
    • Cheapest to start

    Moz API powers custom SEO tools, dashboards, and integrations, with endpoints for keyword research and metrics, backlink and link analysis, competitive and SERP tracking, and brand monitoring. It is a REST API using API-key or basic auth. Pricing is published and self-serve, starting at $5/month with a free tier of 50 rows/month. Used by Content Harmony, iPullRank, and Intero Digital.

    PricingHybrid · from $5 month · free tier ✓
    Does
    • Historical data
    • Local / geo data
    • Competitor analysis
    • Search intent
    • Bulk / batch
    Used byContent Harmony, Odys Global, iPullRank, Intero Digital
    Avoid ifYou have strict compliance requirements

    Moz API profile →

  • #8 SE Ranking

    45 / 100
    • Broadest surface

    SE Ranking's SEO API automates SEO and GEO workflows: competitor analysis and keyword gaps, AI search visibility, technical site audits, link building, and global market analysis across 188+ country databases. It is a REST API with API-key auth and an official MCP server. Pricing is published and self-serve on a credit model of about $50 per 250,000 credits, with a 14-day, 100,000-credit trial. It is GDPR compliant.

    PricingHybrid · from $50 250,000 API credits · free tier ✗
    TrustGDPR
    Does
    • Historical data
    • AI Overview tracking
    • Local / geo data
    • Competitor analysis
    • Search intent
    • PPC / ad data
    • Bulk / batch
    • Real-time
    Used byHigherVisibility, hurra.com, Votre Site Pro
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    SE Ranking profile →

  • #9 SpyFu API

    47 / 100

    SpyFu API provides competitor keyword and ad-history research for SEO and PPC, built for bulk export, automated reporting, and embedding SpyFu data in your own product. It is a REST API using basic auth. Pricing is published and self-serve, starting at $89/month. Coverage centers on the United States.

    PricingHybrid · from $89 month · free tier ✗
    Does
    • Historical data
    • Competitor analysis
    • PPC / ad data
    Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

    SpyFu API profile →

Scope: only APIs with the required capability, picked from published, cited data. The score is one input, not the verdict, and we lead with each one’s trade-off. No reviews yet, no paid placement. See the full Data & Web directory.