| name | seo-dataforseo |
| description | ALWAYS use this when the request matches SEO Dataforseo: Use DataForSEO for live SERPs, keyword metrics, backlinks, competitor analysis, on-page checks, and AI visibility data. |
DataForSEO: Live SEO Data (Extension)
Selective Reading Rule
Start with:
references/senior-master-standard.mdreferences/usage-routing.mdreferences/quality-checklist.md
Then load only the inherited docs, scripts, assets, or examples that match the user's actual task.
Live search data via the DataForSEO MCP server. Provides real-time SERP results,
keyword metrics, backlink profiles, on-page analysis, content analysis, business
listings, AI visibility checking, and LLM mention tracking across
9 API modules with 79 MCP tools.
When to Use
- Use when the user needs live SEO data instead of static best-practice guidance.
- Use for SERP lookups, keyword volumes, backlink checks, competitor data, or AI visibility tracking.
- Use only when the DataForSEO extension is available in the environment.
Prerequisites
This skill requires the DataForSEO extension to be installed:
./extensions/dataforseo/install.sh
Check availability: Before using any DataForSEO tool, verify the MCP server
is connected by checking if serp_organic_live_advanced or any DataForSEO tool
is available. If tools are not available, inform the user the extension is not
installed and provide install instructions.
API Credit Awareness
DataForSEO charges per API call. Be efficient:
- Prefer bulk endpoints over multiple single calls
- Use default parameters (US, English) unless user specifies otherwise
- Cache results mentally within a session; don't re-fetch the same data
- Warn user before running expensive operations (full backlink crawls, large keyword lists)
Quick Reference
| Command | What it does |
|---|
/seo dataforseo serp <keyword> | Google organic SERP results |
/seo dataforseo serp-youtube <keyword> | YouTube search results |
/seo dataforseo youtube <video_id> | YouTube video deep analysis |
/seo dataforseo keywords <seed> | Keyword ideas and suggestions |
/seo dataforseo volume <keywords> | Search volume for keywords |
/seo dataforseo difficulty <keywords> | Keyword difficulty scores |
/seo dataforseo intent <keywords> | Search intent classification |
/seo dataforseo trends <keyword> | Google Trends data |
/seo dataforseo backlinks <domain> | Full backlink profile |
/seo dataforseo competitors <domain> | Competitor domain analysis |
/seo dataforseo ranked <domain> | Ranked keywords for domain |
/seo dataforseo intersection <domains> | Keyword/backlink overlap |
/seo dataforseo traffic <domains> | Bulk traffic estimation |
/seo dataforseo subdomains <domain> | Subdomains with ranking data |
/seo dataforseo top-searches <domain> | Top queries mentioning domain |
/seo dataforseo onpage <url> | On-page analysis (Lighthouse + parsing) |
/seo dataforseo tech <domain> | Technology stack detection |
/seo dataforseo whois <domain> | WHOIS registration data |
/seo dataforseo content <keyword/url> | Content analysis and trends |
/seo dataforseo listings <keyword> | Business listings search |
/seo dataforseo ai-scrape <query> |
SERP Analysis
/seo dataforseo serp <keyword>
Fetch live Google organic search results.
MCP tools: serp_organic_live_advanced
Default parameters: location_code=2840 (US), language_code=en, device=desktop, depth=100
Also supports: The serp_organic_live_advanced tool supports Google, Bing, and Yahoo via the se parameter. Specify "bing" or "yahoo" to switch search engines.
Output: Rank, URL, title, description, domain, featured snippets, AI overview references, People Also Ask.
/seo dataforseo serp-youtube <keyword>
Fetch YouTube search results. Valuable for GEO. YouTube mentions correlate most strongly with AI citations.
MCP tools: serp_youtube_organic_live_advanced
Output: Video title, channel, views, upload date, description, URL.
/seo dataforseo youtube <video_id>
Deep analysis of a specific YouTube video: info, comments, and subtitles. YouTube mentions have the strongest correlation (0.737) with AI visibility, making this critical for GEO analysis.
MCP tools: serp_youtube_video_info_live_advanced, serp_youtube_video_comments_live_advanced, serp_youtube_video_subtitles_live_advanced
Parameters: video_id (the YouTube video ID, e.g., "dQw4w9WgXcQ")
Output: Video metadata (title, channel, views, likes, description), top comments with engagement, subtitle/transcript text.
Keyword Research
/seo dataforseo keywords <seed>
Generate keyword ideas, suggestions, and related terms from a seed keyword.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_ideas, dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_suggestions, dataforseo_labs_google_related_keywords
Default parameters: location_code=2840 (US), language_code=en, limit=50
Output: Keyword, search volume, CPC, competition level, keyword difficulty, trend.
/seo dataforseo volume <keywords>
Get search volume and metrics for a list of keywords.
MCP tools: kw_data_google_ads_search_volume
Parameters: keywords (array, comma-separated), location_code, language_code
Output: Keyword, monthly search volume, CPC, competition, monthly trend data.
/seo dataforseo difficulty <keywords>
Calculate keyword difficulty scores for ranking competitiveness.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty
Parameters: keywords (array), location_code, language_code
Output: Keyword, difficulty score (0-100), interpretation (Easy/Medium/Hard/Very Hard).
/seo dataforseo intent <keywords>
Classify keywords by user search intent.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_search_intent
Parameters: keywords (array), location_code, language_code
Output: Keyword, intent type (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional), confidence score.
/seo dataforseo trends <keyword>
Analyze keyword trends over time using Google Trends data.
MCP tools: kw_data_google_trends_explore
Parameters: keywords (array), location_code, date_from, date_to, language_code
Output: Keyword, time series data, trend direction, seasonality signals.
Domain & Competitor Analysis
/seo dataforseo backlinks <domain>
Comprehensive backlink profile analysis.
MCP tools: backlinks_summary, backlinks_backlinks, backlinks_anchors, backlinks_referring_domains, backlinks_bulk_spam_score, backlinks_timeseries_summary
Default parameters: limit=100 per sub-call
Output: Total backlinks, referring domains, domain rank, spam score, top anchors, new/lost backlinks over time, dofollow ratio, top referring domains.
/seo dataforseo competitors <domain>
Identify competing domains and estimate traffic.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain, dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview, dataforseo_labs_bulk_traffic_estimation
Output: Competitor domains, keyword overlap %, estimated traffic, domain rank, common keywords.
/seo dataforseo ranked <domain>
List keywords a domain ranks for with positions and page data.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords, dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages
Default parameters: limit=100, location_code=2840
Output: Keyword, position, URL, search volume, traffic share, SERP features.
/seo dataforseo intersection <domain1> <domain2> [...]
Find shared keywords and backlink sources across 2-20 domains.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection, backlinks_domain_intersection
Parameters: domains (2-20 array)
Output: Shared keywords with positions per domain, shared backlink sources, unique keywords per domain.
/seo dataforseo traffic <domains>
Estimate organic search traffic for one or more domains.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_bulk_traffic_estimation
Parameters: domains (array)
Output: Domain, estimated organic traffic, estimated traffic cost, top keywords.
/seo dataforseo subdomains <domain>
Enumerate subdomains with their ranking data and traffic estimates.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_subdomains
Parameters: target (domain), location_code, language_code
Output: Subdomain, ranked keywords count, estimated traffic, organic cost.
/seo dataforseo top-searches <domain>
Find the most popular search queries that mention a specific domain in results.
MCP tools: dataforseo_labs_google_top_searches
Parameters: target (domain), location_code, language_code
Output: Query, search volume, domain position, SERP features, traffic share.
Technical / On-Page
/seo dataforseo onpage <url>
Run on-page analysis including Lighthouse audit and content parsing.
MCP tools: on_page_instant_pages, on_page_content_parsing, on_page_lighthouse
Usage:
on_page_instant_pages:Quick page analysis (status codes, meta tags, content size, page timing, broken links, on-page checks)on_page_content_parsing:Extract and parse page content (plain text, word count, structure)on_page_lighthouse:Full Lighthouse audit (performance score, accessibility, best practices, SEO, Core Web Vitals)
Output: Pages crawled, status codes, meta tags, titles, content size, load times, Lighthouse scores, broken links, resource analysis.
/seo dataforseo tech <domain>
Detect technologies used on a domain.
MCP tools: domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies
Output: Technology name, version, category (CMS, analytics, CDN, framework, etc.).
/seo dataforseo whois <domain>
Retrieve WHOIS registration data.
MCP tools: domain_analytics_whois_overview
Output: Registrar, creation date, expiration date, nameservers, registrant info (if public).
Content & Business Data
/seo dataforseo content <keyword/url>
Analyze content quality, search for content by topic, and track phrase trends.
MCP tools: content_analysis_search, content_analysis_summary, content_analysis_phrase_trends
Parameters: keyword (for search/trends) or URL (for summary)
Output: Content matches with quality scores, sentiment analysis, readability metrics, phrase trend data over time.
/seo dataforseo listings <keyword>
Search business listings for local SEO competitive analysis.
MCP tools: business_data_business_listings_search
Parameters: keyword, location (optional)
Output: Business name, description, category, address, phone, domain, rating, review count, claimed status.
AI Visibility / GEO
/seo dataforseo ai-scrape <query>
Scrape what ChatGPT web search returns for a query. Real GEO visibility check: see which sources ChatGPT cites for your target keywords.
MCP tools: ai_optimization_chat_gpt_scraper
Parameters: query, location_code (optional), language_code (optional). Use ai_optimization_chat_gpt_scraper_locations to look up available locations.
Output: ChatGPT response content, cited sources/URLs, referenced domains.
/seo dataforseo ai-mentions <keyword>
Track how LLMs mention brands, domains, and topics. Critical for GEO. Measures actual AI visibility across multiple LLM platforms.
MCP tools: ai_opt_llm_ment_search, ai_opt_llm_ment_top_domains, ai_opt_llm_ment_top_pages, ai_opt_llm_ment_agg_metrics
Parameters: keyword, location_code (optional), language_code (optional). Use ai_opt_llm_ment_loc_and_lang for available locations/languages and ai_optimization_llm_models for supported LLM models.
Workflow:
- Search LLM mentions with
ai_opt_llm_ment_search (find mentions of a brand/keyword across LLM responses)
- Get top cited domains with
ai_opt_llm_ment_top_domains (which domains are most cited for this topic)
- Get top cited pages with
ai_opt_llm_ment_top_pages (which specific pages are most cited)
- Get aggregate metrics with
ai_opt_llm_ment_agg_metrics (overall mention volume, trends)
Output: LLM mention count, top cited domains with frequency, top cited pages, mention trends over time, cross-platform visibility scores.
Advanced: Use ai_opt_llm_ment_cross_agg_metrics for cross-model comparison (how mentions differ across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, etc.).
Available Utility Tools
These DataForSEO tools are available for internal use by the agent but do not have dedicated commands:
serp_locations:Location code lookups for SERP queriesserp_youtube_locations:Location code lookups for YouTube querieskw_data_google_ads_locations:Location lookups for keyword datakw_data_dfs_trends_demography:Demographic data for trend analysiskw_data_dfs_trends_subregion_interests:Subregion interest data for trendskw_data_dfs_trends_explore:DFS proprietary trends datakw_data_google_trends_categories:Google Trends category lookupsdataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview:Quick keyword metrics overviewdataforseo_labs_google_historical_serp:Historical SERP results for a keyworddataforseo_labs_google_serp_competitors:Competitors for a specific SERPdataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site:Keywords a site ranks for (alternative to ranked)dataforseo_labs_google_page_intersection:Page-level intersection analysisdataforseo_labs_google_historical_rank_overview:Historical domain rank datadataforseo_labs_google_historical_keyword_data:Historical keyword metricsdataforseo_labs_available_filters:Available filter options for Labs endpointsbacklinks_competitors:Find domains with similar backlink profilesbacklinks_bulk_backlinks:Bulk backlink counts for multiple targetsbacklinks_bulk_new_lost_referring_domains:Bulk new/lost referring domainsbacklinks_bulk_new_lost_backlinks:Bulk new/lost backlinksbacklinks_bulk_ranks:Bulk rank overview for multiple targetsbacklinks_bulk_referring_domains:Bulk referring domain countsbacklinks_domain_pages_summary:Summary of pages on a domainbacklinks_domain_pages:List pages on a domain with backlink databacklinks_page_intersection:Shared backlink sources at page levelbacklinks_referring_networks:Referring network analysisbacklinks_timeseries_new_lost_summary:Track new/lost backlinks over time
Cross-Skill Integration
When DataForSEO MCP tools are available, other claude-seo skills can leverage live data:
- seo-audit:Spawn
seo-dataforseo agent for real SERP, backlink, on-page, and listings data
- seo-technical:Use
on_page_instant_pages / on_page_lighthouse for real crawl data, domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies for stack detection
- seo-content:Use
kw_data_google_ads_search_volume, dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty, dataforseo_labs_search_intent for real keyword metrics, content_analysis_summary for content quality
- seo-page:Use
serp_organic_live_advanced for real SERP positions, backlinks_summary for link data
- seo-geo:Use
ai_optimization_chat_gpt_scraper for real ChatGPT visibility, ai_opt_llm_ment_search for LLM mention tracking
- seo-plan:Use
dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain, dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection, dataforseo_labs_bulk_traffic_estimation for real competitive intelligence
Error Handling
- MCP server not connected: Report that DataForSEO extension is not installed or MCP server is unreachable. Suggest running
./extensions/dataforseo/install.sh
- API authentication failed: Report invalid credentials. Suggest checking DataForSEO API login/password in MCP config
- Rate limit exceeded: Report the limit hit and suggest waiting before retrying
- No results returned: Report "no data found" for the query rather than guessing. Suggest broadening the query or checking location/language codes
- Invalid location code: Report the error and suggest using the locations lookup tool to find the correct code
Output Formatting
Match existing claude-seo output patterns:
- Use tables for comparative data
- Prioritize issues as Critical > High > Medium > Low
- Include specific, actionable recommendations
- Show scores as XX/100 where applicable
- Note data source as "DataForSEO (live)" to distinguish from static analysis
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
