Do not use Live endpoints by default. Live is ~3.3x the price of Standard for the same SERP, its results are not stored, and a 120-second timeout plus a 30-simultaneous-request ceiling apply. Use Standard (task_post, then poll or webhook) for rank tracking and bulk work - results stay retrievable for 30 days at no extra charge. Reserve Live for the one case it fits: a single per-user lookup where latency is the product.

Context: DataForSEO field notes (dataforseo-brain wiki, live-vs-standard decision page): Live SERP costs about 3.3x the Standard-Normal rate, Live results are not stored, and Standard results are retained 30 days and re-collectable at no extra charge.