How to automate lead generation using Serperdev workflows

If you’re tired of cold outreach that goes nowhere, or spending hours hunting for leads by hand, you’re not alone. Most tools overpromise and underdeliver, but with a bit of smart automation, you can skip the grunt work and get better results. This guide shows you—step by step—how to automate lead generation using Serperdev workflows. No fluff, no “growth hacking” nonsense—just what works, what doesn’t, and how to get started.

Who This Is For

This is for anyone who:

  • Needs to find and qualify leads (B2B or B2C)
  • Wants to automate boring, repetitive searching and data entry
  • Is comfortable with basic web tools (no coding genius required)
  • Prefers honest advice over sales hype

If you want to spend less time on grunt work and more time talking to real prospects, read on.

Step 1: Understand What Serperdev Actually Does

Before you dive in, know what Serper.dev is—and what it isn’t.

  • What it does: Serperdev provides APIs to automate Google search, Google Maps, and other search-related workflows. You can pull fresh data programmatically, set up rules, and chain actions together.
  • What it doesn’t: It’s not a magic bullet. It won’t write your sales emails, pick up the phone, or make people want to hear from you. It also doesn’t “scrape everything” (and if you see that claim, run).

Bottom line: Serperdev helps you automate the finding part. You still need a plan for turning those leads into actual conversations.

Step 2: Map Out Your Lead Generation Workflow

Don’t just automate for the sake of it. Here’s the boring—but important—bit: decide exactly what you want to automate.

Example workflow: 1. Search Google Maps for businesses in a certain niche/location. 2. Pull business names, websites, and contact info. 3. Filter out junk (duplicates, irrelevant results). 4. Add qualified leads to a CRM or spreadsheet.

Pro tips: - Sketch your flow on a napkin first. Seriously. It’s easy to overcomplicate. - Start with one narrow use case (e.g., “find HVAC companies in Dallas”). - Only automate what you’d do by hand. If you wouldn’t bother, don’t waste time automating it.

Step 3: Set Up Your Serperdev Account and API Key

You can’t get far without an account.

  1. Sign up at Serperdev.
  2. Find your API key in the dashboard.
  3. Keep it secret. If you share it, someone else could rack up your bill.

What to ignore: People will tell you to “rotate proxies” or “use fake accounts.” With Serperdev, you don’t need to—this is handled for you.

Step 4: Build Your Search Queries

Here’s where most people mess up—they search too broadly, get garbage results, and think automation doesn’t work.

Tips for building good queries:

  • Be specific: “HVAC companies in Dallas TX” beats “businesses in Texas.”
  • Use Google search operators if you know them (e.g., site:linkedin.com for pulling LinkedIn results).
  • For Maps, include city or zip code.
  • Test your query in a real browser first. If Google gives you junk, Serperdev will too.

Example:

"marketing agencies" "San Diego" site:clutch.co

This will return actual agency listings from Clutch in San Diego, not random blog posts.

Step 5: Use the Serperdev API to Automate Data Collection

Here’s the nuts and bolts. You can use anything from Zapier to Python scripts, but let’s keep it simple.

Option 1: Zapier or Make.com (No-Code) - Use Serperdev’s integration (if available), or call the API via a webhook. - Trigger a search on a schedule (daily, weekly). - Parse the JSON results. - Send them to Google Sheets, Airtable, or your CRM.

Option 2: Simple Python Script If you’re comfortable with code, this is more flexible.

python import requests

url = "https://google.serper.dev/places" headers = {"X-API-KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"} data = {"q": "dentists in Austin TX"}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data) results = response.json()

for place in results.get("places", []): print(place["title"], place.get("address"), place.get("phoneNumber"))

Replace the query and API key with your own.

What works: - Small, focused batches of queries. - Automating just the search and capture—don’t try to do 10 things at once.

What doesn’t: - Mass-blasting 10,000 queries/day. You’ll get blocked or garbage back. - Expecting perfect data. Google listings aren’t always up to date.

Step 6: Filter and Clean Your Lead Data

Raw search results are messy. Don’t dump them straight into your outreach tool or CRM.

How to clean up: - Remove duplicates. - Weed out irrelevant entries (e.g., wrong industry, missing contact info). - Fix formatting (emails, phone numbers). - Consider manual review for high-value leads.

Automation tip: Use spreadsheet filters, or simple scripts, to do 80% of the cleaning. Don’t spend hours chasing perfection.

Step 7: Enrich and Qualify Leads (Optional, But Useful)

If you want better results, go beyond the basics.

  • Enrich: Use services like Clearbit or Hunter.io to find emails and company info.
  • Qualify: Add columns for things like employee count, industry, or website tech stack. Only keep leads that fit your ideal profile.

Warning: Enrichment tools are hit-or-miss. Don’t pay for 10,000 lookups if you only need 100 good leads.

Step 8: Send to Your CRM or Outreach Tool

Once you’ve got a clean list, automate the handoff.

  • Google Sheets is fine for starters.
  • If you use HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc., look for integrations or use Zapier.
  • Add custom fields as needed (source, date found, etc.).

Don’t: Auto-email every lead the second you find them. Take time to personalize, or you’ll end up in spam.

Step 9: Monitor, Tweak, and Don’t Believe the Hype

Even the best workflow needs a tune-up.

  • Check your results weekly: Are you getting real leads, or just noise?
  • Adjust your queries, filters, and enrichment as needed.
  • Don’t fall for “set and forget” promises—lead gen is never truly finished.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

Works: - Automating the boring, repetitive search and data entry parts. - Small, focused queries for specific niches or geographies. - Manual review for high-value targets.

Doesn’t work: - Mass scraping or “spray and pray.” You’ll get blocked or flagged. - Relying 100% on automation for outreach. Humans still want to talk to humans. - Expecting magic leads. Automation saves time, not miracles.

Ignore: - Anyone selling “done-for-you” lead lists—they’re usually recycled junk. - Tools promising “unlimited” results. There’s always a catch.

Keep It Simple, and Iterate

Start small. Automate the tasks you hate most. Review your results. Improve one thing at a time. Don’t chase shiny objects—most of them aren’t worth your time.

The real trick isn’t buying another tool—it’s making the ones you have actually work for you. Give Serperdev a shot, keep your workflow tight, and stay skeptical about shortcuts. Good luck.