| name | seo-dataforseo |
| description | Live SEO data via DataForSEO MCP server. SERP analysis (Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, Google Images), keyword research (volume, difficulty, intent, trends), backlink profiles, on-page analysis (Lighthouse, content parsing), competitor analysis, content analysis, business listings, AI visibility (ChatGPT scraper, LLM mention tracking), and domain analytics. Requires DataForSEO extension installed. Use when user says "dataforseo", "live SERP", "keyword volume", "backlink data", "competitor data", "AI visibility check", "LLM mentions", "image SERP", "google images", "image rankings", or "real search data".
|
| user-invokable | true |
| argument-hint | [command] [query] |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Requires DataForSEO MCP server |
| metadata | {"author":"AgriciDaniel","version":"1.9.6","category":"seo"} |
DataForSEO: Live SEO Data (Extension)
Shared Data Cache
Step 0 -- Check shared data cache:
Before gathering, check .seo-cache/ for reusable context from related SEO skills.
Reference: ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md for schemas and dependency map.
Check these cache files when present:
-
.seo-cache/site-meta.json for domain, business type, industry, and crawl context
-
.seo-cache/audit-scores.json for prior full-audit priorities
-
.seo-cache/pages/{url-slug}/page-analysis.json for page-level context when a URL is provided
-
If found: parse and use clearly valid fields (note "Using cached [X] from [date]")
-
If missing, corrupt, or irrelevant: continue with fresh evidence
-
If the user says "refresh" or "re-run": ignore cache reads and overwrite on write
Live search data via the DataForSEO MCP server. Provides real-time SERP results
(organic + images), keyword metrics, backlink profiles, on-page analysis, content
analysis, business listings, AI visibility checking, and LLM mention tracking
across 10 API modules with 79+ MCP tools.
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)
Cost Guardrails
Before every DataForSEO MCP call, run cost estimation:
python scripts/dataforseo_costs.py check <endpoint> [--count N]
- If
"status": "approved" → proceed with the API call
- If
"status": "needs_approval" → show the cost estimate to the user and ask for confirmation before proceeding
- If
"status": "blocked" → inform the user that the daily budget limit would be exceeded; do NOT proceed
After each API call completes, log the cost:
python scripts/dataforseo_costs.py log <endpoint> <actual_cost>
User commands for cost management:
/seo dataforseo costs today → show today's spending breakdown/seo dataforseo costs summary → show 7-day spending history/seo dataforseo costs config --mode threshold --threshold 0.50 → configure approval mode
Load references/cost-tiers.md for the full pricing table, budget presets, and cost reduction tips.
Quick Reference
| Command | What it does |
|---|
/seo dataforseo serp <keyword> | Google organic SERP results |
/seo dataforseo serp-images <keyword> | Google Images 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> | ChatGPT web scraper for GEO |
/seo dataforseo ai-mentions <keyword> | LLM mention tracking for GEO |
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.
/seo dataforseo serp-images <keyword>
Fetch live Google Images search results. See which images rank for a keyword,
which domains dominate image results, and identify visual content opportunities.
MCP tools: serp_google_images_live_advanced
Default parameters: location_code=2840 (US), language_code=en, device=desktop, depth=100
Parameters: keyword (required), depth (optional, max 700, billed per 100-result increment), search_param (optional, e.g. "site:example.com")
Cost warning: Using site: or filetype: operators incurs 5x API cost. Warn user before running filtered queries.
Output: Position, title, alt text, source page URL, direct image URL, domain, encoded URL.
Analysis to provide:
- Domain dominance: which sites own the most image positions (top 10 domains by count)
- Alt text patterns: common title/alt text patterns in top-ranking images
- Format distribution: WebP vs JPEG vs PNG in top results (infer from image_url extension)
- Opportunity identification: keywords where user has organic rankings but no image presence
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
Additional DataForSEO MCP tools are available for internal use but do not have dedicated commands. Load references/tool-catalog.md when you need to find a specific utility tool (location lookups, bulk operations, historical data, filter options).
Cross-Skill Integration
When DataForSEO MCP tools are available, other codex-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-images:Use
serp_google_images_live_advanced for competitor image SERP data, cross-reference with on-page image audit
- 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 codex-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
Write to shared data cache
After completing all work, write a concise JSON summary to .seo-cache/ when the workflow produced durable findings.
Use the schemas and naming rules in ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md; include at least cache_type, analyzed_at, source URL/domain, key findings, issues, recommendations, and tool limitations. Add .seo-cache/ to .gitignore if it is missing.
