# What SEO Tasks Can Be Performed with OpenSEO and DataForSEO

> Automate SEO tasks like SERP crawling, rank checking, backlink analysis, keyword research, and AI content insights with OpenSEO and DataForSEO. Boost your SEO strategy today.

- Repository: [Every App/open-seo](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-09-10

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**OpenSEO and DataForSEO together enable comprehensive SEO automation including SERP crawling, rank checking, backlink analysis, keyword research, Google Ads metrics, Lighthouse performance audits, local business data retrieval, and AI-powered content insights through a type-safe TypeScript interface.**

OpenSEO is an open-source TypeScript framework that wraps the DataForSEO API to provide programmatic access to enterprise-grade SEO data. By abstracting raw REST endpoints into typed functions located in `src/server/lib/dataforseo/`, the library simplifies complex workflows ranging from real-time rank tracking to technical performance auditing while automatically handling response validation, billing metadata, and error normalization.

## SERP Crawling and Rank Tracking

The [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/serp.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/serp.ts) module exposes functions to query live Google search results and track domain positioning.

- **`fetchLiveSerp`** – Retrieves the first *N* organic results for a keyword, location, and language in real time.
- **`fetchRankCheckSerp`** – Crawls SERPs until it finds a target domain to minimize API costs, returning the exact position.
- **`fetchLocalSerp`** – Queries Google Maps or Local Finder results for location-based SEO analysis.
- **`postRankCheckTasks`** – Queues bulk rank-check tasks via DataForSEO's task queue for asynchronous, cost-effective processing.

### Code Example: Live SERP Fetch

```typescript
import { fetchLiveSerp } from "@/server/lib/dataforseo/serp";

const { data, billing } = await fetchLiveSerp({
  keyword: "open source seo tool",
  locationCode: 2840,
  languageCode: "en",
  depth: 20
});

console.log(data.items);   // Array of organic results
console.log(billing.costUsd); // Request cost tracking

```

## Backlink Analysis

Located in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/backlinks.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/backlinks.ts), the backlink module provides granular link intelligence.

- **`fetchBacklinksRows`** – Returns individual backlink records with optional spam-score filtering.
- **`fetchBacklinksSummary`** – High-level metrics including total links and referring domains.
- **`fetchReferringDomains`** – Aggregated domain-level link data.
- **`fetchBacklinksHistory`** – Time-series data tracking link growth over custom date ranges.

### Code Example: Backlink Rows with Filtering

```typescript
import { fetchBacklinksRows } from "@/server/lib/dataforseo/backlinks";

const { data, billing } = await fetchBacklinksRows({
  target: "example.com",
  includeSubdomains: true,
  limit: 100,
  filters: ["dofollow", "main_page"]
});

console.log(data.items);   // Detailed backlink objects
console.log(billing);      // API usage cost

```

## Keyword Research via DataForSEO Labs

The [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/labs.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/labs.ts) file implements the DataForSEO Labs API for discovering and evaluating keywords.

- **`fetchKeywordIdeas`** – Generates keyword suggestions with search volume, CPC, and competition metrics.
- **`fetchRelatedKeywords`** – Finds semantically related terms to expand content clusters.
- **`fetchDomainRankOverview`** – Shows a domain's organic visibility across multiple locations.
- **`fetchRankedKeywords`** – Lists all keywords a domain ranks for, including position and traffic estimates.
- **`fetchSerpCompetitors`** – Identifies organic competitors for specific keywords.

### Code Example: Keyword Ideas Discovery

```typescript
import { fetchKeywordIdeas } from "@/server/lib/dataforseo/labs";

const { data, billing } = await fetchKeywordIdeas({
  keyword: "content marketing strategy",
  languageCode: "en",
  locationCode: 2840
});

console.log(data); // Array of keyword opportunities with metrics

```

## Google Ads Keyword Metrics

For paid search analysis, [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/keyword-metrics.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/keyword-metrics.ts) and [`google-ads.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/google-ads.ts) provide advertising data.

- **`fetchKeywordMetricsForList`** – Batch retrieval of search volume, CPC, and competition levels for multiple keywords via the Google Ads API.
- **`fetchAdsSearchVolume`** – Single-keyword ad-specific volume data.
- **`fetchAdsKeywordIdeas`** – Generates keyword suggestions based on seed terms using Google Ads logic.

## Lighthouse Performance Audits

Technical SEO auditing is handled in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/lighthouse.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/lighthouse.ts).

- **`fetchLighthouseResult`** – Executes a full Lighthouse audit (performance, accessibility, SEO, best practices) via DataForSEO's infrastructure.

### Code Example: Technical SEO Audit

```typescript
import { fetchLighthouseResult } from "@/server/lib/dataforseo/lighthouse";

const { data, billing } = await fetchLighthouseResult({
  url: "https://example.com",
  device: "desktop"
});

console.log(data.performance_score);  // Lighthouse metrics

```

## Local Business Data

The [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/business.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/business.ts) module manages Google Business Profile interactions.

- **`fetchBusinessListingsSearch`** – Searches for business listings by query and location.
- **`fetchGoogleReviews`** – Retrieves review data for specific business entities.
- **`postMyBusinessUpdatesTask`** – Schedules posts or offers to Google Business Profiles.
- **`fetchBusinessListingsCategories`** – Returns available business category taxonomies.

## AI-Powered Content Insights

Located in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/ai.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/ai.ts), these functions analyze LLM-generated content and responses.

- **`fetchLlmMentionsSearch`** – Finds brand or keyword mentions across LLM outputs.
- **`fetchLlmAggregatedMetrics`** – Provides content quality statistics (word count, readability).
- **`fetchLlmTopPages`** – Identifies top-ranking pages for queries according to LLM analysis.
- **`fetchLlmResponse`** – Directly queries underlying LLMs for structured SEO content generation.

## Unified Response Architecture

Every function in OpenSEO returns a standardized **`DataforseoApiResponse<T>`** defined in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/envelope.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/envelope.ts). This envelope guarantees:

- **Type Safety** – Runtime validation via Zod schemas (e.g., `serpSnapshotItemSchema`, `backlinksItemSchema`).
- **Billing Transparency** – Each response includes a `billing` object containing the exact API cost in USD.
- **Error Normalization** – Errors are wrapped in `DataforseoChargedTaskError` with helper functions like `assertOk` to distinguish between "no results" and actual failures.

The client factory in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/client.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/client.ts) centralizes authentication, retry logic, and caching across all modules.

## Summary

- **OpenSEO** abstracts DataForSEO's REST API into typed TypeScript functions for SERP crawling, backlink analysis, and keyword research.
- **Core modules** reside in `src/server/lib/dataforseo/` with specific files for SERP ([`serp.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/serp.ts)), backlinks ([`backlinks.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/backlinks.ts)), labs ([`labs.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/labs.ts)), and technical audits ([`lighthouse.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/lighthouse.ts)).
- **All functions** return a unified response containing both `data` and `billing` fields for cost tracking.
- **Google Ads metrics** and **local business data** extend coverage to paid search and regional SEO.
- **AI integration** via [`ai.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/ai.ts) enables analysis of LLM-generated content and automated content generation.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does OpenSEO handle API billing and cost tracking?

OpenSEO automatically extracts billing information from every DataForSEO response through the `DataforseoApiResponse` envelope. Each function returns a `billing` object containing the exact cost in USD, enabling real-time budget monitoring without manual calculation.

### Can I perform bulk rank checking without incurring live SERP costs?

Yes. Use the **`postRankCheckTasks`** function in [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/serp.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/serp.ts) to queue rank-check tasks via DataForSEO's task queue. This approach is more cost-effective than live crawling for large keyword sets, and you can retrieve results later using `fetchRankCheckTaskResult`.

### Does OpenSEO support local SEO and Google Business Profile data?

Yes. The library includes comprehensive local SEO support through [`src/server/lib/dataforseo/business.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/server/lib/dataforseo/business.ts), which provides functions for searching business listings, retrieving reviews, posting updates, and fetching category lists specifically for Google Business Profiles.

### What TypeScript types ensure response safety in OpenSEO?

The framework uses Zod schemas defined throughout the `dataforseo` directory (such as `serpSnapshotItemSchema` and `backlinksItemSchema`) to validate API responses at runtime. These schemas provide static TypeScript types that prevent runtime errors when accessing nested SERP or backlink properties.