Top 5 SEO APIs in 2026

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ever-evolving field that demands accurate, real-time data to make informed decisions. Whether you are a seasoned SEO professional or just starting your SEO journey, having access to reliable SEO data is crucial for improving your website's visibility and driving organic traffic.

This is where SEO APIs come into play. They provide seamless access to search engine results page (SERP) data, keyword rankings, and other essential metrics, empowering you to optimize your SEO strategy efficiently.

Among the many options available, ScrapingBee stands out as the best SEO API in 2026. It offers clean JSON output, real browser rendering, proxy rotation, and fast speed, making it a versatile tool for any SEO workflow. If you want to learn more about this provider and review other options, this article is for you!

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

If you want the best SEO API for accurate, fast, and scalable access to search engine results, ScrapingBee is the top choice. It excels in providing clean data, real-time results, and seamless integration, making it ideal for SEO professionals and businesses aiming to boost their search engine rankings.

For more detailed comparisons, check out our Best SERP APIs guide.

Comparison Table: Best SEO APIs

Top SEO APIs in 2026

The SEO API landscape is competitive, but a few providers stand out for their reliability, features, and ease of use. ScrapingBee leads the pack thanks to its clean JSON output, real browser rendering, proxy rotation, and fast speed. It’s designed for seamless integration into your SEO software and workflows, making it the best overall choice.

For more details on Google Search Results API, visit: Google Search Results API.

1. ScrapingBee (Best Overall)

ScrapingBee is the best SEO API for professionals who need accurate, real-time data with minimal hassle. Its core strengths include:

• Clean JSON Output: The API returns structured data that is easy to parse and integrate into your SEO software or automated workflows.

• Real Browser Rendering: ScrapingBee uses real browser rendering to bypass anti-bot measures, ensuring you get authentic search engine results pages.

• Proxy Rotation: With built-in proxy rotation, ScrapingBee handles IP bans and rate limits, allowing you to scale your API requests effortlessly.

• Fast Speed: Quick response times mean you can track keywords and monitor search rankings in near real-time.

• Easy Scaling: Whether you run a small blog post analysis or manage SEO for multiple websites, ScrapingBee scales with your needs.

• Simple Integration: The API is developer-friendly with clear documentation and examples, making it easy to add to your SEO workflows.

Here’s a short JSON example of ScrapingBee’s output for a keyword search:

{
  "bottom_ads": [],
  "knowledge_graph": {},
  "local_results": [],
  "meta_data": {
    "location": null,
    "zero_results_for_original_query": false,
    "number_of_ads": 0,
    "number_of_organic_results": 1,
    "number_of_page": 1230000,
    "number_of_results": 1230000,
    "url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+seo+tools&hl=en&num=20"
  },
  "organic_results": [
    {
      "date": null,
      "date_utc": null,
      "description": "Discover the best SEO tools to improve your search engine rankings and optimize your content.",
      "displayed_url": "https://example.com › top-seo-tools",
      "domain": "example.com",
      "position": 1,
      "rich_snippet": {},
      "sitelinks": [],
      "title": "Top SEO Tools for 2026",
      "url": "https://example.com/top-seo-tools"
    }
  ],
  "questions": [],
  "images": [],
  "related_queries": [],
  "related_searches": [],
  "top_ads": [],
  "top_stories": [],
  "news_results": [],
  "map_results": [],
  "hotel_results": []
}

For pricing details and plans, check out ScrapingBee pricing.

2. Decodo (Formerly Smartproxy)

Decodo offers a robust SEO API with a focus on proxy pools and location diversity. Key features include:

• Extensive Proxy Pools: Decodo provides a large pool of proxies to help avoid IP bans during data collection.

• Wide Location Coverage: Supports multiple geographic locations for localized SEO data collection.

• Decent SERP Scraping: Reliable extraction of search engine results pages for keyword rankings and competitor websites analysis.

Decodo’s Web Scraping API uses request-based subscriptions starting at about $20/month for roughly 23,000 requests (around $0.88 per 1,000), with higher tiers scaling up to tens of millions of requests per month and bringing the effective rate down to about $0.08 per 1,000.

While Decodo is a strong contender, ScrapingBee’s real browser rendering and cleaner JSON output give it an edge in speed and data accuracy, making it better suited for SEO professionals who need actionable insights quickly.

3. Oxylabs

Oxylabs is a premium SEO API provider known for enterprise-level quality and reliability. It is widely used by large companies for:

• High-Volume API Requests: Supports large-scale SEO projects with extensive data needs.

• Accurate SERP Data: Provides detailed search engine results with support for multiple search engines.

• Enterprise Usage: Offers dedicated support and SLA guarantees for mission-critical SEO workflows.

Oxylabs’ Web Scraper API starts at about $49 per month for roughly 17–20K results, with higher tiers reaching $99, $349, and $999+ per month as included result volumes and request rates increase.

Oxylabs is a solid choice for businesses requiring dependable SEO data at scale, but its premium pricing may not suit smaller projects.

4. SerpAPI

SerpAPI supports multiple search engines and offers features such as:

• Real-Time Access to fresh search engine results for keyword rankings and competitor analysis.

• Multiple Search Engines: Includes Google, Bing, Baidu, and others for comprehensive SEO data.

• Easy Integration: Developer-friendly API with clear documentation.

SerpAPI offers three monthly plans: Developer at $75 for 5,000 searches without U.S. Legal Shield, Production at $150 for 15,000 searches with U.S. Legal Shield, and Big Data at $275 for 30,000 searches with U.S. Legal Shield.

SerpAPI is a versatile tool, but it may lack some of the advanced proxy rotation and rendering features that ScrapingBee provides. For alternatives, see SerpAPI alternative.

5. Bright Data

Bright Data is a good web data platform known for its massive proxy network and high-performance scraping tools. It is widely used for:

• Global Reach: Offers extensive geo-targeting down to the city level, making it ideal for tracking localized SERP rankings.

• High Success Rates: Uses a vast residential IP network to bypass sophisticated anti-bot blocks and CAPTCHAs.

• Flexible Data Scraping: Includes a dedicated SERP API and a Scraper IDE for teams that need to customize how they extract search engine data.

Bright Data's Web Scraper API pricing follows a tiered subscription model with plans like Growth at $499/month ($0.85 per 1,000 records), Business at $999/month ($0.75 per 1,000), and Professional at $1,999/month ($0.70 per 1,000), scaling to custom Enterprise options, alongside pay-as-you-go rates around $1.05–$1.50 per 1,000 requests depending on features like JavaScript rendering.

Bright Data is a great option for scaling SEO operations that require granular geographic data, though its interface and pricing model can be complex for new users.

What Makes a Good SEO API

Choosing the right SEO API is a key move in the SEO game, enabling you to leverage valuable insights from your keyword rankings and search visibility data. It complements other tools in your SEO toolkit, helping you make data-driven decisions that improve your domain authority and overall SEO performance.

A good SEO API must deliver several key features:

Accuracy

SEO efforts rely heavily on precise and up-to-date keyword data, search engine results, and insights from tools like Google Search Console. An API that provides fresh, organic results ensures your SEO strategy is based on the latest search rankings, user intent, and how specific keywords perform in real time.

Clean Output

APIs that return clean, structured data formats such as JSON simplify integration with your existing SEO software, dashboards, and automated workflows. This reduces the need for extensive data cleaning and speeds up content optimization, helping you quickly identify top-ranking pages and related keywords.

Speed

Fast API responses are critical when you need to track keywords or perform rank tracking across multiple websites or search engines. Speed also matters when you automate repetitive tasks like broken links checking or competitor websites analysis, especially when handling large volumes of API access requests.

Location and Device Targeting

Local SEO and mobile search are vital components of any SEO strategy. An API that supports location and device targeting helps you gather relevant SERP data tailored to specific markets or user devices, which is crucial for improving your Google Business Profile and local search visibility.

Scalability and Cost

Whether you manage a single website or multiple clients’ websites, your SEO API should scale with your needs. Flexible pricing models like pay-as-you-go or premium plans allow you to control costs while accessing essential metrics. Many SEO professionals also appreciate APIs that integrate smoothly with free tools like Google Sheets for reporting and analysis.

For a deeper dive into search engine scraping, visit our search engine scraping resource.

Accuracy and Fresh Data

In SEO, data accuracy is everything. When you rely on SEO APIs for keyword suggestion, rank tracking, or competitor analysis, you need to trust that the search engine results you receive reflect real-time user behavior and search visibility.

Accurate organic results help you understand your website’s position in the search rankings and identify opportunities for content creation or technical SEO improvements. Clean data formats also make it easier to analyze SERP features, domain authority, and other SEO-related metrics without extra processing.

ScrapingBee’s Organic Results API is designed to deliver precise, fresh data that supports your SEO workflows and helps you make data-driven decisions confidently. Learn more about it here: Organic Results API.

Location and Device Targeting

Local SEO is a powerful way to improve your website’s visibility in specific geographic areas. Similarly, device targeting ensures your SEO strategy aligns with how users search on mobile phones, tablets, or desktops.

For example, a restaurant owner might want to track keyword rankings for “best pizza near me” in different cities, while an e-commerce site might focus on mobile search results to optimize user experience.

SEO APIs that support location and device targeting enable you to collect relevant SERP data tailored to your target audience’s context. This capability is essential for local SEO and for businesses managing multiple websites across regions.

ScrapingBee’s Local Results API offers precise location and device targeting to help you track search rankings effectively. Discover more here: Local Results API.

How to Choose the Right SEO API for Your Project

Selecting the right SEO API depends on your unique needs. Consider these factors:

• Budget: Determine if you need a free plan, pay-as-you-go, or a premium tool.

• Locations: If local SEO is important, choose an API with strong location and device targeting.

• Speed: Fast API responses are critical for real-time rank tracking and automated workflows.

• Accuracy: Ensure the API provides fresh, accurate data that reflects current search engine results.

• Scalability: Pick a solution that can grow with your SEO efforts, whether for a single site or multiple websites.

Use this checklist to match your requirements with API features and make data-driven decisions confidently.

For more on Bing Search API, visit Bing Search API.

Matching API Features to Your Use Case

Different SEO-related tasks require different API capabilities. For example:

• If you focus on keyword research and keyword suggestions, you need an API with rich keyword data and search volume metrics.

• For rank tracking and monitoring search engine rankings, fast and accurate SERP data is essential.

• When doing competitor analysis or tracking multiple search engines, look for APIs that support diverse search engines and provide detailed SERP features.

A practical example: If you manage a local business’s SEO, an API with strong local SEO and Google Business Profile data will help track your site’s visibility in specific regions.

Learn more about Baidu Search API here: Baidu Search API.

Wrapping Up: Step Up Your SEO Game with the Best SERP APIs

In the fast-paced world of SEO, having access to reliable SERP APIs is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. Whether you're tracking your target keyword performance, monitoring your site’s SE ranking, or driving data-driven marketing strategies, the right SEO API can transform your approach and deliver actionable insights that boost your website’s visibility.

ScrapingBee stands out as the ultimate partner in this journey, offering powerful, accurate, and scalable API access to help you stay ahead in the competitive SEO landscape.

Ready to take your SEO efforts to the next level? Sign up today and unlock the full potential of your SEO data with ease and precision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an SEO API?

An SEO API is a software interface that provides access to search engine results, keyword data, and other SEO metrics to help automate and optimize SEO workflows. See more at Organic Results API.

How do SEO APIs get search results?

SEO APIs use techniques like real browser rendering, proxy rotation, and scraping to collect search engine results pages data accurately and in real time. More details at Google Search Results API.

Which SEO API is best for large-scale projects?

ScrapingBee offers scalable plans and fast API responses, making it ideal for large-scale SEO projects. Check ScrapingBee pricing for options.

Can I use an SEO API for local SERP tracking?

Yes, APIs like ScrapingBee’s Local Results API allow you to track search rankings based on location and device, essential for local SEO. Learn more at Local Results API.