Connecting Real Data: DataForSEO, Google Ads, and Search Console

The six data sources

StretchSEM's Data sources panel lists six providers. Three are StretchSuite's own engines and are always available; three are optional external providers an administrator connects to upgrade accuracy.

Always-on proprietary engines:

1. Proprietary keyword intelligence — crawl-based term coverage and scoring from your StretchSearch index.
2. Proprietary backlink link graph — StretchSEM's own referring-domain index, which grows as you scan.
3. Proprietary SERP engine — live SERP parsing plus demand and difficulty estimation.

Optional external providers:

1. DataForSEO — exact keyword search volume, competition, CPC, keyword difficulty, and web-scale backlink summaries.
2. Google Ads Keyword Planner — real average monthly searches, competition, and CPC straight from Google.
3. Google Search Console — your site's real Google rankings, clicks, impressions, and CTR for properties you've verified.

What each provider unlocks

• Without any external provider: keyword tools return an honest 0–100 demand estimate and a SERP-derived difficulty score; backlinks come from StretchSEM's own link graph; all diagnostic tools work fully.
• With DataForSEO: keyword research and reports upgrade to exact monthly volume, CPC, competition, and difficulty, and backlink summaries gain web-scale coverage.
• With Google Ads: keyword tools prefer Google's real average monthly searches and CPC (Google Ads is tried first in the data chain).
• With Google Search Console: Domain reports attach your real Google ranking queries (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position) for verified properties.

The data chain resolves keyword metrics from the best available source in order — Google Ads → DataForSEO → built-in SERP engine — so you always get the most accurate number available, and never a dead end.

Checking provider readiness

1. Open the Diagnostics area (or the Data sources section).
2. Review each provider's status. Proprietary engines show as configured and reachable. External providers show connected only once credentials are set, and the panel reports whether each is reachable (credentials valid) or shows an error if not.

The workspace Data Sources metric card on the dashboard reflects this count — because the three built-in engines are always on, it never reads zero.

How providers get connected

External providers are configured by a StretchSuite administrator at the platform level, not from the workspace UI — this keeps API credentials secure and lets one connection serve the whole account. Broadly:

• DataForSEO uses an API login and password; once set, all keyword and backlink consumers go live after a restart. Region defaults to Canada and language to English unless configured otherwise.
• Google Ads uses a developer token plus OAuth (client ID, secret, refresh token) and a customer ID.
• Google Search Console uses a Google service account that must be added as a user on each verified property so it can read that site's data.

If you're a workspace user and need exact volumes or real Google rankings, ask your administrator to connect the relevant provider.

A realistic example

An agency runs StretchSEM on the built-in engines during onboarding — audits, SERP checks, and rank tracking all work immediately. To produce client-facing volume and CPC figures, they ask their administrator to connect DataForSEO. After the connection, the same keyword-research tool now returns exact monthly search volume and CPC, and the Data sources panel shows DataForSEO as connected and reachable. For their own site, they also connect Google Search Console so Domain reports include real Google positions.

Tips

• You don't need to wait on integrations to start — the built-in engines cover every core workflow.
• Connect Google Ads or DataForSEO when you need exact search volume for planning or client reports.
• Connect Search Console to blend your real Google rankings into Domain reports.
• If a provider shows unreachable, the credentials are likely expired or misconfigured — a task for your administrator.

FAQ

Why does keyword research say the provider isn't configured? Standalone keyword research prefers an external metrics provider. Until one is connected it may return a 503 — and it never charges you for it. Every other tool keeps working on the built-in engines.

Can I connect providers myself? No — external providers are configured by an administrator at the platform level for security. Ask your admin.

Does connecting a provider change my costs? Runs are still 1 credit each. Providers change accuracy, not the per-run credit price.