Keyword Research
Research keywords for SEO, content planning, and paid search using the DataForSEO API.
When to Use
- User asks for keyword ideas or suggestions
- User needs search volume, CPC, or competition data
- User is planning blog posts, articles, or landing pages
- User wants to analyze keyword opportunities
- User mentions SEO keyword research
Requirements
Environment variables must be set:
DATAFORSEO_USERNAME- DataForSEO login emailDATAFORSEO_PASSWORD- DataForSEO API password
Commands
Get Keyword Suggestions
Returns keywords containing the seed term with metrics:
./scripts/keyword_research suggestions "seed keyword" -n 20
Get Related Keywords
Returns semantically related keywords:
./scripts/keyword_research related "seed keyword" -n 20
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-n, --limit |
Max results per seed (default: 50) |
-f, --format |
Output format: json (default) or table |
Output Format
Default JSON output for easy parsing:
[
{
"seed": "ai seo",
"keywords": [
{
"keyword": "ai seo tools",
"search_volume": 2900,
"cpc": 25.48,
"competition": 0.09,
"competition_level": "LOW"
}
]
}
]
Examples
Research keywords for a blog post:
./scripts/keyword_research suggestions "python tutorial" -n 30
Compare multiple seed keywords:
./scripts/keyword_research suggestions "react hooks" "vue composition api" -n 20
Get table output for human review:
./scripts/keyword_research suggestions "ai tools" -f table
Interpreting Results
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
search_volume |
Monthly searches (Google US) |
cpc |
Cost per click in USD |
competition |
0-1 scale (higher = more competitive) |
competition_level |
LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH |
Source: nc9/skills — distributed by TomeVault.