Key takeaways
- Start from the data you already pay for. Most SEO MCP servers are free to connect but bill calls against an existing plan.
- Decide read-only or read-write before connecting anything that can change your site.
- Pair one data server with one server for a job it can't do, like crawling or page speed.
1. Which data do you already pay for?
This settles most decisions. If your team lives in Semrush, Semrush MCP costs nothing extra on qualifying plans. If it lives in Ahrefs, Ahrefs MCP is available from the Lite plan. Connecting a suite you don't use means buying a subscription just for your agent. Semrush vs Ahrefs compares the two directly.
No suite?
Pay-per-use servers fit better: DataForSEO bills per API call and Keywords Everywhere uses a shared credit pool on every plan.
2. What will each call cost?
Look for how the vendor meters MCP usage, not just whether MCP is "included". Agents make many small calls, and loops happen. Before you connect, check:
- Is usage billed per call, per row or per credit?
- Does the plan include enough units for automated use?
- Can you see usage somewhere, so a runaway agent shows up quickly?
3. Hosted or local?
Hosted servers are a URL plus an OAuth sign-in, and they work with cloud agents. Local servers run on your machine: better when data shouldn't leave it, or when the tool is a desktop app such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider. Many teams run one of each.
4. Read-only or read-write?
Reading data is low-risk. Writing, such as publishing a draft, changing meta tags or editing a CMS, is not. Know which you're connecting:
| Server | Can it change things? |
|---|---|
| Sitebulb MCP | No. Read-only by design |
| Google Analytics MCP | No. Read-only scope |
| Frase MCP | Yes. Can publish, but not without your say-so by default |
| Webflow MCP | Yes. Edits meta, sitemaps and schema |
5. Is it official and maintained?
Official vendor servers track their own API changes. Community servers can be excellent (mcp-gsc fills a gap Google hasn't), but check the last release date. Also watch for archived projects: Ahrefs' old local server on GitHub is archived and doesn't work with MCP keys.
Before you connect
Read the server's own docs for its current tool list and pricing. Vendors change both often. Every page on this site shows the date we last verified its facts.
A sensible starting stack
- Data: the MCP of the suite you already use, or DataForSEO if you don't use one.
- Your own performance: mcp-gsc for Search Console and Google Analytics MCP for GA4.
- Technical: Chrome DevTools MCP for page speed.
- Web data: Firecrawl MCP for competitor pages.