MCP Server

Semrush alternative for AI assistants

Semrush is a powerful SEO tool, but it requires a dashboard, a login, and a four-figure annual subscription. Trends MCP takes a different approach: live trend and keyword data delivered directly to your AI assistant via MCP, without the overhead of a dedicated tool or the friction of manual report pulling.

Get your free API key

100 free requests/day. No credit card required.

Add to your AI in 30 seconds

An API key is required to connect. Get your free key above, then copy the pre-filled config for your client.

"trends-mcp": {
  "url": "https://api.trendsmcp.ai/mcp",
  "transport": "http",
  "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
}

+ Add to Cursor
Or paste into Mac / Linux — ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Windows — %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

↑ Get your free key above first — the config won't work without it.

claude.ai (Pro / Max / Team) — no JSON needed

https://api.trendsmcp.ai/mcp

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste URL above

Claude Desktop — add inside mcpServers

"trends-mcp": {
  "url": "https://api.trendsmcp.ai/mcp",
  "transport": "http",
  "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
}

Mac — ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows — %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Fully quit and restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Add inside mcpServers

"trends-mcp": {
  "url": "https://api.trendsmcp.ai/mcp",
  "transport": "http",
  "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
}

Mac / Linux — ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
Windows — %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json
Or: Command Palette → Windsurf: Configure MCP Servers

Add inside servers — VS Code uses different key names

"trends-mcp": {
  "type": "http",
  "url": "https://api.trendsmcp.ai/mcp",
  "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
}

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json, or:
Command Palette (⇧⌘P / Ctrl+Shift+P) → MCP: Add Server

What you can query

All data is normalized to a 0-100 scale for consistent cross-platform comparison.

What your AI can call

Four tools. Your AI picks the right one automatically based on what you ask.

get_trends
Historical time series
Raw normalized data for a single source. Weekly mode returns ~5 years of data; daily mode returns the last 30 days. Each data point includes date, normalized value (0-100), and absolute volume where available. Best for charting, custom calculations, and time series modeling. Note: one source per call.
get_growth
Growth metrics
Point-to-point growth for preset periods (7D, 14D, 1M, 3M, 6M, 1Y, YTD, and more) or custom date ranges. Returns % change, volume, direction, and data quality score. Use source='all' for cross-platform aggregated growth, or pass comma-separated sources like 'amazon, tiktok, youtube' for multi-source comparison in one call.
get_growth(keyword='target keyword', source='google search', percent_growth=['3M', '1Y'])
get_ranked_trends
Ranked trend lists
Precomputed ranked lists of top trending keywords or companies. Supports keyword, catalyst, company (single), and company (combined) modes. Filter by sector, industry, country, earnings dates, minimum volume, and data quality. Sort by latest value, week-over-week, month-over-month, or year-over-year growth.
get_top_trends
Live trending now
What is trending right now with no keyword required. Covers: Google Trends, TikTok Trending Hashtags, Reddit Hot Posts, Wikipedia Trending, X (Twitter), App Store Top Free & Paid, Google Play, Spotify Top Podcasts, Google News, SimilarWeb Top Websites, and Amazon Best Sellers.

What you get back

Normalized value
0-100 scale, consistent across all platforms
Absolute volume
Raw search / view counts where available
Growth %
Period-over-period change with exact dates
Time series
Up to 5 years of weekly data per keyword
Data quality
Coverage score and zero-value detection
Multi-source
get_growth supports 'all' or comma-separated sources in one call

Common questions

Semrush is a full SEO platform with backlink analysis, rank tracking, site auditing, and keyword research. Trends MCP is focused specifically on trend intelligence: what is growing right now, across search and social, delivered to your AI. If you need trend signals for research and strategy without the full SEO stack, Trends MCP is significantly cheaper and integrates directly with your AI workflow.
No. Trends MCP focuses on trend velocity and cross-platform momentum. It does not provide backlink analysis, SERP rankings, or site audit data -- those remain Semrush's domain. Trends MCP is best used alongside an SEO tool, not as a full replacement.
Trends MCP provides trend data across TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, Amazon, Wikipedia, News, App Downloads, Steam, and npm -- platforms Semrush does not cover. It also integrates directly with AI assistants via MCP, so your AI can act on trend data in real time rather than requiring you to manually pull and share Semrush reports.
Semrush Pro starts at $140+/month. Trends MCP is priced as a data subscription significantly below that. For teams whose primary need is trend intelligence (not full SEO auditing), Trends MCP covers the trend research use case at much lower cost.