Track Google search rankings with Bright Data, Google Sheets & Gmail

This workflow automates daily or manual keyword rank tracking on Google Search for your target domain. Results are logged in Google Sheets and sent via email using Bright Data's SERP API.

Requirements:

• n8n (local or cloud) with Google Sheets and Gmail nodes enabled
• Bright Data API credentials

Main Use Cases

• Track Google search rankings for multiple keywords and domains automatically
• Maintain historical rank logs in Google Sheets for SEO analysis
• Receive scheduled or on-demand HTML email reports with ranking summaries
• Customize or extend for advanced SEO monitoring and reporting

How it works

The workflow is divided into several logical steps:

1. Workflow Triggers

• Manual: Start by clicking 'Test workflow' in n8n.
• Scheduled: Automatically triggers every 24 hours via Schedule Trigger.

2. Read Keywords and Target Domains

• Fetches keywords and domains from a specified Google Sheets document.
• The sheet must have columns: Keyword and Domain.

3. Transform Keywords

• Formats each keyword for URL querying (spaces become +, e.g., seo expert → seo+expert).

4. Batch Processing

• Processes keywords in batches so each is checked individually.

5. Get Google Search Results via Bright Data

• Sends a request to Bright Data's SERP API for each keyword with location (default: US).
• Receives the raw HTML of the search results.

6. Parse and Find Ranking

• Extracts all non-Google links from HTML.
• Searches for the target domain among the results.
• Captures the rank (position), URL, and total number of results checked. Saves timestamp.

7. Save Results to Google Sheets

• Appends the findings (keyword, domain, rank, found URL, check time) to a “Results” sheet for history.

8. Generate HTML Report and Send Email

• Builds an HTML table with current rankings.
• Emails the formatted table to the specified recipient(s) with Gmail.

Setup Steps

1. Google Sheets:

   • Create a sheet named “Results”, and another with Keyword and Domain columns.
   • Update document ID and sheet names in the workflow’s config.

2. Bright Data API:

   • Acquire your Bright Data API token.
   • Enter it in the Authorization header of the 'Getting Ranks' HTTP Request node.

3. Gmail:

   • Connect your Gmail account via OAuth2 in n8n.
   • Set your destination email in the 'Sending Email Message' node.

4. Location Customization:

   • Modify the gl= parameter in the SERP API URL to change country/location (e.g., gl=GB for the UK).

Notes

• This workflow is designed for n8n local or cloud environments with suitable connector credentials.
• Customize batch size, recipient list, or ranking extraction logic per your needs.
• Use sticky notes in n8n for further setup guidance and workflow tips.

With this workflow, you have an automated, repeatable process to monitor, log, and report Google search rankings for your domains—ideal for SEO, digital marketing, and reporting to clients or stakeholders.