A Beginner’s Guide to Google Search API

A Beginner’s Guide to Google Search API

Google is the biggest search engine in the world, processing over 3.5 billion searches per day. In a year, it processes about 1.2 trillion per day. Thus, safe to say Google is sitting on a large amount of data that is like a gold mine for marketers and business owners alike.

You can use this data to improve your marketing and get in front of the right audience. But when it comes to accessing this data, what are your options?

While there are many options available to you, one of the best ways is to use the Google Search API. If you’re unaware of this concept, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we explain how to work with Google Search API to access the data.

What is Google Search API?

Google Search API is a tool that allows anyone to programmatically invoke Google Search and access the search results page, also known as SERP.

It automates the manual process of searching for keywords and tracking the results. Why is this important, you ask? That’s because tracking the results manually is a time-consuming and inefficient process.

Google and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) aren’t constant. They keep evolving and changing all the time, every minute.

Thanks to development like AI, Machine Learning, and Rankbrain, Google’s algorithm is modifying the search results faster than ever.

Just to give you some context, you’ll see a different search result for the same keyword than your friend’s. Both of you may live in the same room, but your search results will be different.

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That’s because of the personalization and Google showing you results based on your browsing activity.

The search engines also vary the results based on your location and the device you’re using.

To track each result for different searchers is seemingly an impossible feat.

That’s where Google Search APIs come into play. You can send requests to these API endpoints, and they’ll return you the updated search results within few seconds.

What Type of Results do Search APIs Offer?

When you’re investing in a Search API too, what kind of search results can you expect?

SEO professionals are overly concerned about the organic results. And as a matter of fact, they tend to fluctuate the most. But Search APIs aren’t limited to organic results. You can request different types of SERP results.

Some of them are:

  • Organic Results – These are the results that are optimized for searches. The majority of the pages you’re going to find listed for a particular search are organic results. Google’s algorithm evaluates every single page that wants to rank for that keyword. It then ranks in a hierarchical order based on their ranking factors.
  • Paid Results – You’re going to find paid results at the top of the SERP, above organic results. They may or may not follow the SEO guidelines because they’re paid by an advertiser.
  • Image Results – Google shows images for certain keywords which it thinks are relevant. Just like organic results, they are optimized for the search keyword as well.
  • Reverse Image Results – Reverse Image Search means searching with an image rather than text. You can access the results that show up for reverse image search.
  • News Results – For certain keywords, Google shows news articles in the News box. The results are time-dependent and expire once the news gets old.
  • Jobs Results – You can get updated data on the job postings that match certain keywords. Searches like “secretary openings,” “pizza delivery” may show job postings within a given demographic.
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With Google Search API, you can get the most updated information on the above types of search results.

How to Work with Google Search APIs?

If you’ve ever worked with an API before, then you’ll find working with Google Search APIs easily. Otherwise, there’s some learning involved.

API, which stands for Application Programming Interface, is a way for two applications to talk to each other.

One application sends in a request or a call to the other for information. The second application then verifies the request, processes it, and returns the requested information.

The URL to which the request is made is known as an endpoint. It will look something like this – “https://APIendpoint.com/serp-api/api/search?device=desktop&engine=google&gl=ca&google_domain=google.ca&hl=en&location=G1H%2C+Quebec%2C+Canada&q=starbucks&start=10.”

So, to work with a Google Search API, you must have an endpoint and credentials. You can find the endpoints on its documentation page. For the credentials, you need to sign up and create an account.

Once you’ve both, you can start sending in requests.

But before you do, you’d have to define parameters. If you look at the endpoint, then the device, engine, gl, location are all parameters. You need to specify them as per your search result requirement.

Each request sent is counted as one credit used. Most Google Search API tools have a set limit per month. To make more calls, you need to purchase credits.

To Sum up

Exclusive SERP API tools like the one from Whatsmyserp make tracking updated Google results automatic and seamless. As Google keeps on evolving, the search results will fluctuate dramatically. So start using a Google Search API today.

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