Search engine results pages (SERPs) represent a goldmine of data for businesses and individuals looking to stay ahead in the competitive world of digital marketing and SEO. While it may sound daunting that you will need to monitor SERPs and extract tons of data, sift through it, and act on the one that stands out, there is actually an easier way around the problem. Enter, SERP scraper APIs, tools that help in the data extraction process, enabling you to track rankings, monitor competitors, conduct keyword research, and much more.
To be fair to SERP scrapers, they’re much more than mere information-gathering tools, they could also serve as a source of creative inspiration for your business. It's a strategic partner in crafting an effective SEO plan. It helps you gain a competitive edge, create impactful content, and build a strong online presence. By delving deeper into data, the SERP Scraper enables informed decisions and enhances your digital performance.
How to Choose the Right SERP Scraper API
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
When selecting a SERP scraper API, it’s important to consider the following:
- Cost: The pricing structure should be on your list to check, especially if you already know the volumes and frequency of usage for your needs. You will also find pay-as-you-go plans, which can be cost-effective if you don’t plan on using scrapers that often, for other usage requirements a more comprehensive plan is the way to go.
- Data Accuracy: Consistent and reliable search results are a must for any SERP scraper, especially if you’re targeting multiple search engines and queuing up multiple queries. You should always look to test the API on sample queries to asses the results before you commit.
- Scalability: Large-scale data extraction is needed if you need to scale up your business, but to do so, the performance of the API needs to stay consistent regardless of the data load. Before looking into this option, you should consider your current and future needs.
- Customization: Tailoring an API request is of critical importance. At the most basic level, you should be able to specify parameters like location, language, and device type. Endpoint customization can come in handy for targeting specific SERP features, such as snippets or ads.
- Support: To avoid hours or days of solo troubleshooting, make sure the scraper you’re considering offers support, comprehensive documentation, onboarding assistance, and community forums.
Our Top SERP Scraper API Picks for 2024
Best Overall
The heavyweight champion in the world of scraping API (SERP scraping included), Oxylabs is already an established player in the data extraction playing field. Its SERP Scraper API is part of the comprehensive Web Scraper API toolkit and is ideal for businesses.
It is strong, reliable, and able to tackle huge amounts of (accurate and up-to-date) data without breaking a sweat. The platform has everything from Google to Bing covered, including both desktop and mobile search results, and it can also handle CAPTCHAs for you.
As such, Oxylabs is the ultimate tool for companies with large scraping requirements. If you are looking for accurate, high-volume data with built-in proxies and a dashboard that won’t leave you scratching your head, Oxylabs is your go-to SERP scraper API platform.
The results you might get through it may aid in SEO and ranking, i.e., tracking how your keywords perform across different search engines and regions. On top of that, they allow you to analyze competitors’ paid search ads, as well as get insights into their organic and paid search strategies.
In terms of pricing, all this power doesn’t come cheap. Although the entry-level plan costs a relatively acceptable $49 per month or $2 per 1,000 results, it only supports 24,500 results and limits the rates to 10 results per second. If you require more serious results, you should opt for one of the enterprise plans.
For instance, the Venture plan, which is priced at $499 per month (or $1.50 per 1,000 results), will provide 333,000 results at a 50 results per second limit. However, forking out $999 or more per month will not only boost these numbers but also throw in a dedicated account manager for good measure.
There is also a 7-day free trial, which includes 5,000 results at a rate limit of 5 results per second and is limited to only one user. It is also worth noting that yearly plans carry a 10% discount.
Read our full Oxylabs review.
Best for speed
Among other things, Google offers a powerful SERP scraper, which collects data in real-time, targeting any keyword you need. It’s quite straightforward to use, thanks to Google’s design philosophy and the simplicity they build into their products, so if you’re a beginner in the world of SERP API this is a great place to start. If you’re in the market for specific endpoints for other search engines that are harder to find with their competitors, Google offers Walmart Search Engine, Home Depot Search Engine, or the Apple Store API.
With the “Legal Shield” in their arsenal, all US scraping (offered under premium plans) covers all of the potential legal issues that might arise. When mentioning the plans, there is a free one, with 100 searches per month, which is a great way to test out the service. If however, you need to scale up, the Developer plan with 5,000 searches a month costs $75 per month, the Production plan with 15,000 searches a month is $150 a month, and finally the Big Data plan with 30,000 searches a month is $275 per month. Note that the “Legal Shield” is available only on the later two, more expensive plans. CAPTCHA solving is available across all plans, as well as desktop and mobile SERP results.
Best for Real-Time Data Collection
Zenserp offers users a simple code that can be integrated into any website to enhance its ranking on SERPs. It is offered in CURL, Python, Node.js, and PHP and can easily scale up or down depending on your needs, even if you have needs for higher volumes. The API itself is highly accessible and mimics human behavior to deliver SERPs in real time.
There is a “playground” option, where you can test all of the searches without paying any fees, it covers organic Google SERP data + shopping, maps, reviews, hotels, jobs, news, trends, and images. The free plan is enough for 50 searches a month, but if you need more you can upgrade to the Small plan, 5,000 searches covering all SERP types for $49.99 a month. The uninventive names of the plans span across the Medium, Large, and Very Large plans that scale from 20,000 up to 120,000 searches a month, with various additional tools that you might need. The pricing goes from 129.99$ a month for Medium, $249.99 for Large, and $499.99 a month for Very Large making the offer quite pricey if you need a lot of traffic.
Best for Comprehensive SEO Analysis
If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution, then DataForSEO has you covered. It offers numerous SERP APIs that can extract data from the likes of Google, Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, and even YouTube. In its repertoire, it has tools to get keywords, backlinks, social media information, and much more. You could call its offer an all-in-one SEO toolkit, which is great if you’re a more advanced user, however, if you’re a newbie, you might feel intimidated by the sheer volume of information and the numerous analytics details it provides.
Furthermore, it offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, though there is a minimum payment amount of $50 so once you start using it you will have to spend the $50. After this pricing model, it gets a tad more complex, as there is so much to choose from. If you’re only interested in SERP API, then the price per 1 SERP page is $0.0006 for a standard queue which means a turnaround time of up to 5 minutes. You can opt for the priority queue of up to 1 minute turnaround time which increases the price for 1 SERP page to $0.0012 or go for the live mode for $0.02 per SERP with turnaround times of up to 6 seconds.
FAQs
What is a SERP scraper API?
A SERP scraper API enables businesses to programmatically extract search engine results data, helping them track keyword rankings, monitor competitors, and analyze SEO performance.
How to choose the best SERP scraper API?
Consider factors like data accuracy, scalability, ease of use, cost, and available customization options.
Is SERP scraping legal?
Yes, but it should be done in compliance with search engine terms of service and data protection regulations.
Conclusion
SERP scraper APIs are indispensable tools for businesses looking to optimize their SEO strategies. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, our top picks offer robust solutions tailored to meet diverse needs.
