Keyword Research

Keyword Research Workflows

Chained workflows for discovering, evaluating, and prioritizing keywords using DataForSEO MCP tools. All tool references use the mcp__dataforseo__ prefix.

Workflow 1: Topic-Based Keyword Research

Start from a broad topic and expand into a prioritized keyword list.

Step 1 — Generate Seed Ideas

Call dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_ideas with 2-5 seed keywords. Set location_name and language_code to match the target market. Set limit to 100-200 for the initial pass.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_ideas
Params:
  keywords: ["project management software", "task management tool"]
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"
  limit: 200

Step 2 — Get Metrics in Bulk

Collect all discovered keywords and pass them to dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview for metrics. This tool accepts up to 700 keywords in a single call, making it far more cost-efficient than fetching metrics one-by-one.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview
Params:
  keywords: [<all keywords from Step 1>]
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"

Step 3 — Classify Search Intent

Pass the keyword list to dataforseo_labs_search_intent to classify each keyword as informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. Use this to segment your final list by funnel stage.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_search_intent
Params:
  keywords: [<keywords from Step 2>]
  language_code: "en"

Step 4 — Assess Difficulty in Bulk

Filter to promising candidates and run dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty to get difficulty scores for the entire set at once.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty
Params:
  keywords: [<filtered keywords>]
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"

Combine the results: sort by search_volume descending, filter by keyword_difficulty < 40 for quick wins, and group by search intent.

Workflow 2: Competitor-Based Keyword Discovery

Extract keyword opportunities from a competitor domain.

Step 1 — Pull Competitor Keywords

Call dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site with the competitor domain to discover all keywords the domain is associated with.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site
Params:
  target: "competitor.com"
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"
  limit: 500

Step 2 — Check Current Rankings

Use dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords to see which keywords the competitor actually ranks for and at what positions.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords
Params:
  target: "competitor.com"
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"
  limit: 500

Step 3 — Get Full Metrics

Pass the discovered keywords to dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview to retrieve search volume, CPC, competition, and difficulty.

Focus on keywords where the competitor ranks in positions 4-20 (vulnerable positions) and where search volume exceeds 100.

Workflow 3: Keyword Gap Analysis

Find keywords competitors rank for but your domain does not.

Step 1 — Intersect Domains

Call dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection with your domain and 1-2 competitor domains. Set intersections to identify keywords unique to competitors.

Tool: dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection
Params:
  targets:
    1: "competitor1.com"
    2: "competitor2.com"
  exclude_targets: ["yourdomain.com"]
  location_name: "United States"
  language_code: "en"
  limit: 300

Step 2 — Evaluate Difficulty

Pass gap keywords to dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty to find low-difficulty opportunities the competitors hold that you can capture.

Step 3 — Validate with SERP

For the top 10-20 candidates, run serp_organic_live_advanced to see the current SERP landscape and assess whether you can realistically compete.

Interpreting Keyword Metrics

Location and Language Parameters

Use full country names for location_name: "United States", "United Kingdom", "Germany", "France", "Australia". Use ISO 639-1 codes for language_code: "en", "de", "fr", "es", "pt".

Retrieve available locations via kw_data_google_ads_locations if unsure about the exact name string.

Filtering Syntax

DataForSEO Labs endpoints accept nested filter arrays. Use the following format:

[
  ["keyword_info.search_volume", ">", 100],
  "and",
  ["keyword_info.keyword_difficulty", "<", 30]
]

Common filter fields:

• keyword_info.search_volume — monthly searches
• keyword_info.keyword_difficulty — difficulty score
• keyword_info.cpc — cost per click
• keyword_info.competition_level — "LOW", "MEDIUM", "HIGH"
• serp_info.se_results_count — total SERP results for the keyword

Combine conditions with "and" / "or" strings between filter arrays.

Cost Optimization

1. Use keyword_overview first. It processes up to 700 keywords in one API call. Always batch keywords through this before using more expensive endpoints like keyword_ideas or keyword_suggestions.
2. Use bulk endpoints. bulk_keyword_difficulty and bulk_traffic_estimation process many keywords at once for a fraction of the per-keyword cost.
3. Set limits. Always set limit on discovery endpoints (keyword_ideas, keywords_for_site) to avoid pulling thousands of results when 200-500 suffice.
4. Filter server-side. Pass filters in the API call rather than retrieving all results and filtering client-side.

Workflow:

1. Call dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_ideas with seeds ["project management software", "task management app", "team collaboration tool"], location_name "United States", language_code "en", limit 200
2. Collect all returned keywords → pass to dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_overview (batch of up to 700)
3. Filter results: search_volume > 200 AND keyword_difficulty < 35
4. Pass filtered set to dataforseo_labs_search_intent to classify intent
5. Sort by search_volume descending, group by intent
6. Present: table of keywords with volume, difficulty, CPC, intent — prioritize commercial/transactional intent with low difficulty

Workflow:

1. Call dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection with targets {"1": "ahrefs.com"}, exclude_targets ["yourdomain.com"], location_name "United States", language_code "en", limit 300
2. Pass resulting keyword list to dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty to assess ranking feasibility
3. Filter: keyword_difficulty < 50 AND search_volume > 500
4. For top 10 keywords, call serp_organic_live_advanced to inspect current SERP composition
5. Present: gap keywords sorted by opportunity score (high volume + low difficulty), with SERP context for top picks