Search volume, CPC and keyword ideas by API: what each route requires
You want Google search volumes, CPC and keyword ideas in a script, a spreadsheet, n8n or an AI agent. One route is the Google Ads API, another is a commercial SEO data provider. Here is what each requires, and what PlainRows offers.
What the Google Ads API requires for keyword data
From Google's Google Ads API access levels page on 2026-10-08:
- Every call needs a developer token. Test access works on test accounts only.
- At Explorer access, keyword planning services (KeywordPlanService, KeywordPlanIdeaService) are restricted; to use them you need Basic or Standard access.
- Basic access requires brand verification first, then an application reviewed in about 10 business days; 15,000 operations per day. Standard access (unlimited operations) involves a detailed manual audit.
Getting that access is a project of its own, and you still write the OAuth and request code.
What PlainRows offers
Two tools on Apify, no Google account and no developer token: the free Apify plan is enough to test them, the Starter plan ($19 per month with $19 of usage included, apify.com/pricing) removes the free-plan limits.
| Data | Tool | Price (Starter plan) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly search volume, CPC, competition, top-of-page bid range, keyword difficulty, search intent and up to 8 years of monthly history, for up to 10,000 keywords per run in 94 countries | Keyword Search Volume, CPC & Difficulty | $0.008 per keyword with data; keywords with no data are free |
| Up to 1,000 keyword ideas from a seed keyword (suggestions, related searches or same-topic ideas), each with volume, CPC, difficulty and intent | Keyword Ideas Generator | $0.003 per idea returned + $0.01 per seed keyword |
Example: volumes for 5,000 keywords cost about $40.00. The data comes from a commercial SEO data provider, not from your Google Ads account: figures may differ from what Keyword Planner shows in your account.
When the Google Ads API is the better choice
- You already have Basic or Standard access, or you build a product that needs Google's own figures at very large volume.
- You need forecasts tied to your own campaigns, bids and budgets.
When PlainRows is the better choice
- You need volumes and ideas now, for a content plan, an SEO audit or an AI agent, without an application and a review.
- You run it from n8n, Make, Zapier or Google Sheets and pay only for keywords with data.
Competitor facts checked on 2026-10-08 from the linked pages; prices change, check them before you decide.