If you’re in B2B sales or marketing, you know the drill: endless tabs, sketchy data sources, and tools that promise a “10x pipeline boost” but mostly just waste your time. This is a straight-shooter review of Serper.dev—what it actually does, where it helps (and doesn’t), and how B2B teams can use it to streamline lead gen and sales workflows. No fluff, no magic bullets, just the facts you need to decide if it’s worth your time.
What Is Serper.dev, Really?
Serper.dev bills itself as a Google Search API with a focus on real-time, structured search data. Translation: it lets you automate the kinds of Google searches you’d normally do by hand—pulling fresh info on companies, people, news, and more, without the CAPTCHAs or manual grunt work.
Who’s it for? Mostly B2B teams—sales ops, SDRs, growth marketers—who need up-to-date info on leads, companies, or market trends, and want to pull that data directly into their apps or workflows.
Where it fits: - Building prospect lists with recent company news or funding. - Enriching CRM data with real-world search results. - Automating research for outbound campaigns. - Tracking competitors or industry trends.
Where it doesn’t fit: - If you just want a list of emails or direct dials, this isn’t Apollo or ZoomInfo. - If you need 100% guaranteed, “compliance-ready” data, be cautious—Serper.dev pulls from Google, not an internal database.
The Core Features (and What’s Actually Useful)
1. Real-Time Google Search API
You can programmatically run Google web, news, maps, and even “people also ask” queries. It’s fast and, so far, reliable.
What’s good: - No scraping headaches. You don’t have to mess with proxies or risk Google bans. - Results are structured—easier for devs to parse and push into apps or spreadsheets.
Limitations: - You’re still bound by what Google indexes and prioritizes. If something’s buried on page five, you’ll need to dig for it.
2. News & Company Monitoring
Want to know when a prospect raises funding, launches a product, or makes a big hire? Set up alerts or regular pulls using Serper.dev’s news search.
Works well for: - Finding recent press about target accounts (so you don’t send embarrassing “congrats on your Series B” emails six months late). - Surfacing fresh conversation starters for outbound.
Don’t expect: - Deep company intelligence or structured funding data like Crunchbase. You’ll mostly get headlines and snippets, not full profiles.
3. Maps & Local Search
You can pull business info, addresses, and reviews using Maps queries.
Handy for: - Territory planning (finding all the industrial suppliers in a zip code). - Enriching local lead lists with up-to-date info.
Not so handy for: - Detailed contact info or business emails. You’ll need to supplement with other tools.
4. “People Also Ask” and Related Queries
Get Google’s “People also ask” and “Related searches” programmatically.
Why care? - Helps you brainstorm outbound angles and understand what buyers are searching for. - Useful for content/campaign planning, too.
How to Use Serper.dev in Real-World B2B Workflows
Here’s how B2B teams actually plug Serper.dev into their day-to-day. You’ll need a little scripting/automation know-how, but you don’t have to be a full-stack dev.
1. Build Smarter Lead Lists
Instead of buying stale lists, automate Google searches for your ICP (“B2B SaaS companies in Boston 2024”, “IT directors at fintech startups”). Use the API to pull results into a spreadsheet or CRM.
Steps: - Define your ICP search terms. - Use Serper.dev to run those searches daily/weekly. - Filter results for new companies or contacts. - Use LinkedIn/Snov.io/Email Hunter for enrichment.
Pro tip: Automate deduping and junk filtering—Google’s results aren’t always clean.
2. Automate Research for Outbound Campaigns
Before you send a cold email, pull recent news about the company and key people. This beats “I see you’re hiring” (so does everyone else).
How: - Set up a script to grab the latest news headlines for each target account. - Drop the best snippets into your outreach template.
Why bother: Teams that personalize with actual recent info see better reply rates. Just don’t overdo it—one relevant line is enough.
3. Monitor Competitors Without Manual Tracking
Keep tabs on competitor announcements, new hires, or customer complaints.
Quick setup: - List your top competitors. - Run regular news/web searches with their names. - Feed results into Slack, Notion, or wherever your team actually looks.
Don’t expect: Deep financials or anything behind paywalls. This just surfaces what’s public.
4. Support Content and SEO Research
If your GTM team owns content, use Serper.dev to automate “People also ask” and related queries research for your topics.
Why it’s better than manual: - Saves hours of trawling Google. - Uncovers angles you might not think of.
One warning: Don’t stuff your blog posts with every question you find—be selective.
The Honest Pros & Cons
What Works
- Fast setup: No browser extensions, no learning curve beyond basic API skills.
- Google’s breadth: You tap into the world’s biggest search index, updated in real time.
- Flexible: Use it for one-off enrichment, automated workflows, or even customer-facing features.
What Doesn’t
- Data depth: It’s only as good as what’s publicly available on Google. No “hidden” data.
- Contact info: If you want verified emails or phone numbers, you’ll need other tools.
- Noise: Google search results can be messy—expect to clean up data, especially at scale.
- Cost: Can get pricey if you’re running tons of queries daily. Watch your API usage.
What to Ignore
- Don’t expect “AI-powered” magic. Serper.dev is plumbing, not a black box that finds leads for you.
- Ignore claims of “instant GTM wins.” You still need to build the logic and workflows.
Integrations & Setup: What You Need to Know
You’ll need: - An API key (signup is quick, but paid plans are the norm for serious use). - Basic scripting skills (Python, Zapier, Make, or similar). - Somewhere to send the data (CRM, Google Sheets, Slack, etc.).
No native Salesforce or HubSpot integration—plan on building your own bridge or using middleware.
Pro tip: Start with a small workflow (e.g., news alerts on 10 key accounts). Expand only if it actually helps your team.
When Serper.dev Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
Great fit if: - You need fresh, public info on companies, people, or trends, and want it automated. - You have dev resources (or are willing to tinker) to build custom workflows. - Your current lead gen feels stale or manual.
Probably not worth it if: - You want a plug-and-play lead database with direct dials and emails. - You’re allergic to a bit of scripting or API wrangling. - You’re just starting out and don’t have a clear use case.
Bottom Line: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Serper.dev is a solid tool for B2B teams who want to automate search-based lead gen and enrichment. It won’t replace full-blown sales databases, but it’s a flexible way to pull real-time info into your stack—if you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty. Start small, prove value, and scale what actually helps. Don’t buy into hype; just build workflows that save your team time and help you reach the right people faster.