SEO SERP Tracking

Track rankings, monitor SERP changes, and analyze search result features using DataForSEO API via direct curl calls.

API Configuration

Credentials stored in ~/.config/dataforseo/auth (Base64 encoded).

# Read auth token
AUTH=$(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)

Quick Reference

Command	What it does
`/seo serp rank <domain>`	Get all keywords domain ranks for
`/seo serp check <keyword>`	Live SERP check for keyword
`/seo serp history <keyword>`	Historical SERP changes
`/seo serp features <keyword>`	Analyze SERP features present
`/seo serp competitors <keyword>`	Who ranks for this keyword
`/seo serp overview <domain>`	Domain ranking overview

API Endpoints

Live SERP Check

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/serp/google/organic/live/advanced" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"keyword": "TARGET_KEYWORD", "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en", "depth": 100}]'

Domain Rank Overview

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/domain_rank_overview/live" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"target": "example.com", "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en"}]'

Ranked Keywords (Site Rankings)

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/ranked_keywords/live" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"target": "example.com", "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en", "limit": 100}]'

Historical SERP

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/historical_serps/live" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"keyword": "TARGET_KEYWORD", "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en"}]'

SERP Competitors

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/serp_competitors/live" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"keywords": ["kw1", "kw2", "kw3"], "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en"}]'

Keyword Overview

curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/keyword_overview/live" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(cat ~/.config/dataforseo/auth)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"keywords": ["kw1", "kw2"], "location_name": "United States", "language_code": "en"}]'

Analysis Modes

1. Domain Ranking Overview

Get complete ranking profile for a domain.

Input: domain (e.g., "example.com")
Output:
- Total ranking keywords
- Position distribution (1-3, 4-10, 11-20, 21-100)
- Estimated organic traffic
- Top ranking keywords
- SERP feature presence

Position Distribution Chart:

Position 1-3:   ############ 45 keywords
Position 4-10:  #################### 89 keywords
Position 11-20: ########## 42 keywords
Position 21-50: ######## 35 keywords
Position 51+:   #### 18 keywords

2. Live SERP Check

Get current SERP for any keyword.

Input: keyword, location (optional)
Output:
- Top 10/20/100 results
- SERP features present
- Ads above/below organic
- Related searches
- People Also Ask

SERP Feature Detection:

Feature	SEO Impact
AI Overview	Reduces organic CTR
Featured Snippet	High visibility opportunity
People Also Ask	Content expansion signals
Local Pack	Local SEO needed
Image Pack	Image optimization opportunity
Video Carousel	Video content opportunity
Knowledge Panel	Brand authority signal

3. Historical SERP Analysis

Track SERP changes over time.

Input: keyword
Output:
- SERP snapshots over time
- Position changes per domain
- Feature appearance/disappearance
- Volatility assessment

Use cases:

Track algorithm update impact
Identify ranking trends
Detect competitor movements
Plan content updates

4. SERP Competitor Analysis

Find who's competing for keywords.

Input: keyword(s)
Output:
- All ranking domains
- Average position per domain
- Traffic share estimates
- Content type analysis

5. Keyword Position Check

Check specific keyword positions for your domain.

Input: domain, keywords[]
Output:
- Current position per keyword
- URL ranking for each
- SERP features captured
- Position change from last check

Ranking Metrics

Position Tiers

Tier	Positions	CTR Estimate	Priority
Premium	1-3	15-30%	Defend
Strong	4-10	2-8%	Optimize
Striking Distance	11-20	1-2%	Push
Opportunity	21-50	<1%	Content gap
Long-tail	51+	Minimal	Low priority

Traffic Estimation

DataForSEO provides estimated traffic based on:

Search volume
Position
CTR model
SERP features present

Note: These are estimates, not actual traffic data.

Output Formats

Ranking Report

# SERP Rankings: [domain]
Generated: [Date]

## Overview
- Total Keywords: X
- Estimated Monthly Traffic: X
- Average Position: X
- Keywords in Top 10: X

## Position Distribution

| Position | Keywords | % of Total |
|----------|----------|------------|
| 1-3 | X | X% |
| 4-10 | X | X% |
| 11-20 | X | X% |
| 21-50 | X | X% |
| 51+ | X | X% |

## Top Keywords

| Keyword | Position | Volume | URL |
|---------|----------|--------|-----|
| [kw1] | 3 | 5,400 | /page1 |
| [kw2] | 7 | 3,200 | /page2 |

## SERP Features Captured

| Feature | Count | Keywords |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Featured Snippet | 5 | kw1, kw2, ... |
| People Also Ask | 12 | ... |

## Opportunities

### Striking Distance (Position 11-20)
Keywords close to page 1 - prioritize optimization:
1. [keyword] - Position 12, Volume 2,400
2. [keyword] - Position 15, Volume 1,800

SERP Analysis Report

# SERP Analysis: "[keyword]"
Location: [location]
Generated: [Date]

## SERP Composition

### Above the Fold
- Ads: 4
- AI Overview: Yes
- Featured Snippet: Yes (domain.com)

### Organic Results
1. domain1.com/page - Title
2. domain2.com/page - Title
...

### SERP Features Present
- [x] AI Overview
- [x] Featured Snippet
- [x] People Also Ask (4 questions)
- [ ] Local Pack
- [x] Image Pack
- [ ] Video Carousel

## Recommendations
1. Content type to create: [based on top results]
2. Target word count: [based on analysis]
3. SERP feature to target: [based on gaps]

Comparison: DataForSEO vs GSC

Capability	DataForSEO (this skill)	GSC
Ranking data	Yes (estimated)	Yes (actual)
Click data	No	Yes
Impression data	No	Yes
CTR data	No	Yes
Any domain	Yes	Only verified
Historical depth	Months	16 months
Real-time SERP	Yes	No
SERP features	Detailed	Limited

Use DataForSEO when:

Analyzing competitors
Real-time SERP checks
SERP feature analysis
No GSC access

Use GSC when:

Actual click/impression data needed
CTR optimization
Your own verified properties

Integration with Other Skills

Use seo-keywords to find keywords to track
Use seo-content to optimize underperforming pages
Use seo-backlinks to understand ranking factors

Best Practices

Tracking Setup

Core keywords - 20-50 most important terms
Brand keywords - Brand name variations
Competitor keywords - Where competitors rank
Opportunity keywords - Striking distance terms

Monitoring Cadence

Keyword Type	Check Frequency
Core (top 20)	Weekly
Secondary (21-50)	Bi-weekly
Long-tail (51+)	Monthly
Competitor tracking	Weekly

Action Triggers

Signal	Action
Position drop >5	Investigate content/links
New competitor in top 5	Analyze their content
SERP feature lost	Re-optimize for feature
Position 11-15	Push to page 1

[PROTOCOL]: Update this header on changes, then check CLAUDE.md

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