286 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
286 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
# OpenSEO
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OpenSEO is an SEO tool for _the people_. If tools like Semrush or Ahrefs are too expensive or bloated, OpenSEO is a pay by usage alternative that you actually control.
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## Table of Contents
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- [Why Use This](#why-use-this)
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- [Main SEO Workflows](#main-seo-workflows)
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- [Roadmap](#roadmap)
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- [Community](#community)
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- [Pricing / Costs (Free + API costs)](#pricing--costs)
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- [Self Hosting (Deploy on Cloudflare) \[5-10 minutes\]](#self-hosting-deploy-on-cloudflare-5-10-minutes)
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- [Docker Self Hosting (Standalone OpenSEO)](#docker-self-hosting-standalone-openseo)
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- [Local Development](#local-development)
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- [Contributing](#contributing)
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- [SEO API Cost Reference](#seo-api-cost-reference)
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## Why Use This
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- Open source and self-hostable.
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- No subscriptions.
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- Focused workflows instead of a giant, complex SEO suite.
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- AI Native - Use your own tools like Claude Code / Cowork for more powerful AI features than what other platforms provide.
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## Main SEO Workflows
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- Keyword research
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- Find topics worth targeting, estimate demand, and prioritize what to write next.
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- Domain insights
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- Understand where your domain is gaining or losing visibility so you can focus on the pages that move revenue.
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- Site Audits
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- Catch technical issues early so your site is easier for search engines to crawl and rank.
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## Roadmap
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Top priorities:
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- Rank tracking
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- AI content workflows
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If something important is missing, please join the [Discord](https://discord.gg/c9uGs3cFXr) or email me at ben@everyapp.dev and request it.
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## Community
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Email me: ben@everyapp.dev
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Join discord to chat: [Discord](https://discord.gg/c9uGs3cFXr)
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Follow along for updates:
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- [r/everyapp](https://www.reddit.com/r/everyapp/)
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- On X: https://x.com/bensenescu
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## Pricing / Costs
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OpenSEO is totally free to use. It works by using DataForSEO's APIs, which is a paid third-party service unaffiliated with OpenSEO.
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There are two separate things:
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1. OpenSEO app cost: $0, you host it yourself.
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2. DataForSEO API: pay-as-you-go based on usage.
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For cost estimates, see [DataForSEO API Cost Reference](#seo-api-cost-reference).
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## Self Hosting (Deploy on Cloudflare) [5-10 minutes]
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> [!TIP]
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> If anything in this section is confusing or unfamiliar like running terminal commands, copy this link into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it explain.
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OpenSEO is built on [Every App](https://github.com/every-app/every-app), a platform for easily self-hosting open source apps like OpenSEO in your own Cloudflare account. Cloudflare enables much more powerful functionality than is possible running on your own computer or on a VPS.
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_Windows Users_
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This has not been tested on Windows. Please let me know if you run into problems. Using WSL will likely work better. Also, try using [fly.io Sprites](https://sprites.dev/) to get a linux sandbox for free if you get totally stuck.
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### Video Walkthrough
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This video walks through setting up the Gateway and self hosting OpenSEO. If you run into any problems, reference the [Community](#community) section for how to reach out.
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https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e40d5089-971f-43c9-85ff-1213aea35156
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### Prerequisites
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If you don't want to make a Cloudflare account yet (its easy!) and just want to test out OpenSEO, skip to the [Run Locally](#seo-api-cost-reference) section.
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1. Install [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (includes `npx`).
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2. Create a Cloudflare account: [dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up](https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up)
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3. Authenticate Wrangler:
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```sh
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npx wrangler login
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```
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4. Deploy the Every App Gateway (one-time per account):
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```sh
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npx everyapp gateway deploy
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```
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5. Create an Account
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- Follow the link output by the last command to create an account. You will access OpenSEO through this account.
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### Self Host OpenSEO
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Deploy the app to cloudflare.
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1. Clone the repo to your machine
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```sh
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git clone https://github.com/every-app/open-seo.git
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```
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2. Switch to the directory
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```sh
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cd open-seo
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```
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3. Self host via the Every App CLI
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```sh
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npx everyapp app deploy
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```
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#### DataForSEO API Key Setup [5 minutes]
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OpenSEO use DataForSEO to get the SEO info. You need an API key to connect OpenSEO to the service.
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1. Go to [DataForSEO API Access](https://app.dataforseo.com/api-access).
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2. Request API credentials by email (`API key by email` or `API password by email`).
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3. Use your DataForSEO login + API password, then base64 encode `login:password`:
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```sh
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printf '%s' 'YOUR_LOGIN:YOUR_PASSWORD' | base64
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```
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4. Set this as a secret in Cloudflare. Use the value from the previous step when prompted.
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```sh
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npx wrangler secret put DATAFORSEO_API_KEY
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```
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Now you're all set! Go back to the gateway, click on the OpenSEO app, and start getting better at SEO!
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## Docker Self Hosting (Standalone OpenSEO)
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Quickstart:
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1. `cp .env.example .env`
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2. Set `DATAFORSEO_API_KEY` in `.env`
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3. `docker compose up --build`
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4. Open `http://localhost:3001`
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For runtime details, caveats, and troubleshooting, see [`SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md`](./SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md).
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## Local Development
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### Prerequisites
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- Node.js 20+
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- [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/)
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- A DataForSEO account/API credentials
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### Run Locally (Quick Test)
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1. Copy env template:
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```sh
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cp .env.example .env.local
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```
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2. Install and run:
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```sh
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pnpm install
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# Initialize local DB schema (required on a fresh machine)
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pnpm run db:migrate:local
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# This runs in BYPASS_GATEWAY mode so that you don't need to set up the Every App gateway. This is fine for local use and best for local dev / quick testing since you don't need to access the app through the gatway
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pnpm dev:agents
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```
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`pnpm dev` runs on `http://localhost:3001` by default (or `PORT` from `.env.local`).
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`pnpm dev:agents` runs through portless at `http://open-seo.localhost:1355` by default.
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When using a git worktree, portless prefixes the branch name, for example `http://feature-name.open-seo.localhost:1355`.
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Running locally is the fastest way to test core flows. In the future, local mode will not include some Cloudflare-backed capabilities (for example cron-based rank tracking and infrastructure-powered performance improvements for heavier audits).
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### Local Development (In Gateway)
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If you want auth or any other gateway only features enabled for local dev, you must access through your Gateway and set a devUrl on the app.
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See the next section which is a workflow for agents which works much better with worktrees and doens't require the Gateway.
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```sh
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# This configures your .env.local, installs dependencies and runs migrations against your local database.
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npx everyapp app setup-local
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# terminal 1: start once and keep running
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pnpm dev:agents
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```
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### Local Development Workflow (for coding agents)
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```sh
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# This log file make it easier for your coding agent to debug.
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mkdir .logs
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touch .logs/dev-server.log
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# Run once per fresh local DB
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pnpm run db:migrate:local
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# terminal 1: start once and keep running
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pnpm dev:agents
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```
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- `pnpm dev:agents` mirrors output to `.logs/dev-server.log` (gitignored).
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- The log file is overwritten on each run.
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### Database Commands
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Generate migration:
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```sh
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pnpm run db:generate
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```
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Migrate local DB:
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```sh
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pnpm run db:migrate:local
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```
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## Contributing
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Contributions are very welcome.
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- Open an issue for bugs, UX friction, or feature requests.
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- Open a PR if you want to implement a feature directly.
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- Community-driven improvements are prioritized, and high-quality PRs are encouraged.
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If you want to contribute but are unsure where to start, open an issue and describe what you want to build.
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## SEO API Cost Reference
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Use this section to estimate DataForSEO spend per request type. OpenSEO itself remains free; these are API usage costs only.
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As of February 26, 2026, DataForSEO’s public docs/pricing pages say:
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- New accounts include **$1 free credit** to test the API.
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- The minimum top-up/payment is **$50**.
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That means you can try OpenSEO for free with the starter credit, then decide if/when to top up.
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### Pricing sources
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- DataForSEO Labs pricing: https://dataforseo.com/pricing/dataforseo-labs/dataforseo-google-api
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- Google PageSpeed Insights API docs: https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/get-started
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### 1) Site audit
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- No paid API calls in the current implementation.
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### 2) Keyword research (`related` mode)
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- Current billed cost pattern (from account usage logs):
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- `0.02 + (0.0001 x returned_keywords)` USD
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- Default app setting: `150` results per search (`$0.035` each).
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- Available result tiers:
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- 150 results = `$0.035`
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- 300 results = `$0.05`
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- 500 results = `$0.07`
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### 3) Domain overview
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- Standard domain overview request (with top 200 ranked keywords): `$0.0401` per domain.
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- General formula if needed:
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- `0.0201 + (0.0001 x ranked_keywords_returned)` USD
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### Planning examples
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- 100 keyword research requests at the default 150 results: `$3.50`
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- 100 keyword research requests at 500 results each: `$7.00`
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- 100 domain overviews (200 ranked keywords each): `$4.01`
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