Keyword research is the backbone of any strong SEO strategy, but doing it manually can be time-consuming and limited in scope. This is where SERP API comes in.
SERP API allows users to query Google’s search results programmatically, providing structured data such as organic listings, People Also Ask questions, and related searches. For keyword research, this means automation, scalability, and real-time accuracy without the headaches of scraping or dealing with CAPTCHAs.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up SERP API, make your first requests, and apply the results to practical keyword research workflows.
1. What is SERP API and Why Use It for Keyword Research?
In simple terms, SERP API is a tool that lets you fetch Google Search results in JSON format. Instead of manually running searches and copying data into a spreadsheet, SERP API does the heavy lifting and delivers everything directly to your code or database.
Key benefits:
- Automation – run hundreds or thousands of queries at scale.
- Accuracy – real-time results straight from Google.
- Efficiency – avoid manual scraping issues and CAPTCHAs.
Compared with traditional SEO tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, SERP API doesn’t provide search volumes, but it gives unmatched flexibility for extracting SERP features and building custom keyword workflows.
2. Setting Up SERP API
Step 1: Sign up and get an API key
Visit serpapi.com and create an account. You’ll be issued an API key which is required for all requests.
Step 2: Install the libraries
For Python:
pip install google-search-results
For Node.js:
npm install google-search-results-nodejs
Step 3: Test your first query
Here’s a simple Python example:
from serpapi import GoogleSearch
params = {
"engine": "google",
"q": "best SEO tools",
"api_key": "your_api_key"
}
search = GoogleSearch(params)
results = search.get_dict()
print(results)
This will return a JSON object containing organic results, related searches, and more.
3. Practical Keyword Research Workflows with SERP API
a) Extract “People Also Ask” Questions
SERP API can return the “People Also Ask” box, which is a goldmine for long-tail keyword ideas.
Example JSON snippet:
{
"people_also_ask": [
{"question": "What are the best free SEO tools?"},
{"question": "How do SEO tools work?"},
{"question": "Which SEO tool is most accurate?"}
]
}
These can be repurposed as blog topics or FAQs targeting informational queries.
b) Collect “Related Searches”
Google often displays related search suggestions at the bottom of the SERP.
Python snippet:
related = results.get("related_searches", [])
for r in related:
print(r["query"])
Use this to identify semantic variations and cluster them into topical maps.
c) Analyse Competitor Rankings
SERP API makes it easy to extract the top organic results for a keyword.
organic_results = results.get("organic_results", [])
for res in organic_results:
print(res["title"], res["link"])
This allows you to track which competitors consistently appear and reverse-engineer their content strategy.
d) Automating Keyword Clusters
A powerful workflow is clustering keywords based on SERP overlap.
Pseudocode:
For each keyword:
Pull top 10 results via SERP API
Compare overlap with other keywords
Group into clusters if 60%+ of results match
This helps build content silos around keyword groups rather than isolated terms.
4. Visualising the Results
SERP API data is best presented in structured formats. For example:
- People Also Ask extracted questions (table or list).
- Related searches grouped by intent (spreadsheet).
- Keyword clusters displayed as a chart.
5. Tips & Best Practices
- Respect rate limits – avoid hitting the API too frequently without batching.
- Store results – save outputs in a database or Google Sheets for later use.
- Combine with other tools – enrich SERP API data with search volume or CPC data from Google Ads or Keywords Everywhere.
6. Limitations of SERP API for Keyword Research
- Cost – usage is based on credits, so large-scale projects can become expensive.
- No search volumes – combine with third-party APIs for complete keyword metrics.
- Technical setup – requires coding knowledge to get started effectively.
Wrapping Up
SERP API is a powerful tool for keyword research, offering scalable, automated, and highly flexible access to real-time Google data.
By following the steps in this guide, you can:
- Extract “People Also Ask” questions.
- Gather related search terms.
- Track competitor rankings.
- Build automated keyword clusters.
Try out the code examples above with your own seed keywords and start building smarter keyword strategies today.
