Search engines like Google and Bing contain a wealth of information. They are like a vast data repository that businesses can tap into to gain valuable insights. Imagine scraping all this valuable information within seconds with a free Search API or SERP API. A Google search API automates the web scraping process, improving data accuracy and saving time. However, choosing an efficient search API that supports high volume and provides real user data is essential. Such APIs allow businesses to collect large amounts of data from the web, which can be helpful for lead generation, competitor analysis, market research, trend analysis, price monitoring, etc.
Since several search APIs exist, finding the right API that supports high volume and provides accurate results in real time can be challenging. To simplify this process, we’ve curated a list of the six best free search APIs that are scalable and provide real user data.
Table of Contents
How Can I Run API for Free?
An API refers to an application programming interface that allows two apps or systems to communicate and exchange data. To run an API for free, you first need to sign up for the free plan by providing the necessary details, such as name and email ID. You’ll then get your unique API key required to make an API request.
Is There Any Google Search API for Free?
There are various Google Search APIs that you can use for free. However, not all of them are efficient and reliable. For instance, some APIs can’t handle large volumes of search queries. SERP data accuracy can also be a problem with many search APIs. However, there are some efficient free search APIs that you can trust to provide highly accurate real-user data in high volume. Let’s explore the features and capabilities of these APIs in the next section.
Also Read: A complete guide to scraping Google.
6 Best Free Search APIs
Here are the top free web search APIs:
Zenserp Google Search API
Zenserp is a SERP API that allows you to scrape accurate search engine result pages effortlessly. The high-performance web search API is designed to return results in real time for enhanced accuracy and performance. You can use the API to scrape almost all types of Google search results, including:
- Organic results
- Paid results/Google ads
- News results
- Image and video results
- Local and map results
- Knowledge graph
- People also ask/Related questions
- Answer box results/Instant answers
Besides Google, Zenserp supports other popular search engines, including Bing and Yandex. Another highlighting feature of the API is geolocated search engine results for location-based web scraping. This data can help understand search trends in a specific region.
Zenserp API is also known for its scalability and next-level performance. It can efficiently handle high-volume searches and millions of requests without compromising performance. Moreover, Zenserp is a free search API offering real-time SERP scraping and 50 free monthly searches. The API also has various flexible pricing plans offering high volume and advanced features, such as batch searches, SLA, Bulk Index Checker (GUI), etc.
In terms of real user data, Zenserp offers Keyword Search Volume and Keyword CPC. Keyword search volume provides the total number of searches by real users for a specific keyword. Keyword CPC provides information regarding the cost per click associated with a keyword. Moreover, you can also scrape real user reviews, such as product reviews, restaurant reviews, etc.
The API also has extensive documentation to help you get started quickly. The API documentation consists of various coding examples as well to ease the integration process.
Serpstack
Serpstack is another widely used free search API or SERP API by APILayer. The API provides real-time and highly accurate Google SERP data and supports all types of Google search results, from organic and paid web results to images, videos, and news results. The API utilizes a robust proxy network, so you don’t need to worry about global IPs and CAPTCHAs. Moreover, the API allows you to customize your automated search queries based on language, location, device, and more.
Serpstack is backed by a powerful cloud infrastructure that allows the API to process high-volume API requests without any delays. Moreover, the free search API offers as many as 1000 monthly searches for free. You can also subscribe to one of its budget-friendly subscription plans if you want more volume.
Apify Google Search Results Scraper
Apify SERP API is another free search API for scraping Google search engine result pages accurately. It allows you to extract various types of Google search results, including:
- Organic results
- Paid results and ads
- Related Queries and People Also Ask results
- Real user reviews, such as restaurant reviews
- Product prices
You can also tailor your searches based on country or language. The API also supports the extraction of custom attributes. Moreover, the API is easy to use and integrate. It returns data in easy-to-read JSON format and lets you download the extracted data easily.
RapidAPI Google Search API
RapidAPI is an API marketplace or API hub offering an extensive range of search APIs for extracting real-time SERP data, including:
- Web search data
- Image search data
- News data (local news, per topic, etc.)
- Maps data (local business information, reviews, photos, etc.)
- Product search ( product offers, reviews, prices, etc.).
Many of these APIs offer a free plan and tutorials to help you get started quickly.
ScrapingBee
ScrapingBee is a powerful SERP API that makes web scraping effortless. The API efficiently rotates proxies so you won’t get blocked while scraping web pages. Moreover, it handles headless instances efficiently using the latest Chrome Version.
The API is super easy to use and supports JavaScript rendering. This means you can instantly scrape any web page with just a single parameter. The API supports all JavaScript libraries and comes with detailed documentation.
ScrapingBee offers various budget-friendly pricing plans. You can also sign up and get 1000 free API calls.
SerpWow
SerpWow is a real-time search engine results page API or SERP API that enables developers to extract data from various websites programmatically. The API supports multiple search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, and Yandex. With SerpWow, developers can retrieve a variety of search engine results pages, including organic results, paid results, featured snippets, and more, from any geographical location worldwide. Moreover, the API supports customized search queries, allowing users to target specific keywords, languages, locations, and more. The powerful API also supports pagination, allowing you to retrieve multiple pages of SERPs.
Comparison and Selection
When choosing a SERP API, it’s essential to assess whether it offers the features for your specific use cases. For instance, if your app relies on real-time SERP data, it’s best to choose a real-time Google Search API like Zenserp that provides highly accurate results. Moreover, if you need high-volume SERP data for market research, competitor analysis, etc. look for an API that can handle a large number of API requests without compromising performance. Another factor to consider is pricing plans of the API. All the APIs we’ve included in our list offer a free plan or free trial. However, if you need high volume, you need to subscribe to a pricing plan, depending on your requirements. Zenserp and Serstack APIs offer budget-friendly pricing plans that include hundreds of API requests and other helpful features.
Real User and High Volume Data: Use Cases
The real user data collected in large amounts using a free search API can be helpful in various ways. Here are some use cases of such data:
Digital Marketing: Marketers can retrieve location-specific real user SERP data to target their audience more effectively and create tailored marketing campaigns. For instance, marketers can analyze relevant phrases or keywords users search for. Similarly, real-user SERP data can provide information about the language users use for search queries.
E-commerce: SERP data can help e-commerce businesses analyze customer behavior, optimize product listings, and enhance the shopping experience. For instance, high-volume SERP data provides valuable information about relevant keywords customers use to search for specific products. Similarly, high-volume SERP data can help e-commerce businesses understand users’ intent behind search queries.
SEO and SERP Tracking: As aforementioned, real-user SERP data provide information regarding keywords users frequently use for their search queries and their intent behind searches. This information is crucial in creating effective SEO strategies.
Market Research: Businesses can analyze high-volume SERP data to gain valuable information for market research, trend identification, and competitive analysis. For instance, businesses can identify customer preferences and emerging market trends. Moreover, they can analyze competitors’ activities, such as product launches, their marketing strategies, product prices, etc.
Conclusion
In today’s digital world, web scraping has become a crucial data collection method for businesses. Real-user SERP data in high volume helps businesses with SEO, market research, trend identification, competitor analysis, price monitoring, and more. However, to reap these benefits, choosing the right web search API is essential.
In this article, we’ve reviewed the top six Google search APIs that support high-volume SERP data. These include Zenserp, Serpstack, Apify Google Search API, Rapid API Google Search API, ScrapingBee, and SerpWow. However, Zenserp leads the race with its ability to process high-volume searches, a generous free plan, high accuracy, high efficiency, real-time data, geotargeted searches, and 99% uptime.
Start using Zencrape free search API today and retrieve real-time SERP data in high volume!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a free search API, and how does it benefit my project?
A free search API is a service that allows the integration of search functionality into applications or websites without extensive development. It benefits projects by providing real user search capabilities, enhancing user experience, and handling high search volumes efficiently.
How do I choose the right free search API for my project’s needs?
Choosing the right free search API involves considering factors such as real user interaction, search accuracy, speed, scalability, and ease of integration. This blog post highlights the six best options, offering insights to help you select an API that aligns with your project requirements.
Are there limitations to using free search APIs, and how can I manage high search volumes effectively?
While free search APIs offer valuable features, some may have limitations on usage. Understanding any restrictions and exploring ways to manage high search volumes is crucial, such as optimizing queries, implementing caching strategies, or considering premium options for more extensive usage.
