Monitoring Google News Coverage for a Brand

Tracks press and media coverage of a brand across Google News. Identifies publications, volume, sentiment, and stories that need PR attention.

Prerequisites

APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set
Optional: Apify MCP server installed

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Notes
`startUrls`	array	Optional	`[]`	Google search URLs
`searchTerms`	array	Optional	`[]`	Keywords to search on Google
`countryCode`	string	Optional	`US`	Country for Google search (e.g. `US`, `GB`, `TR`)
`languageCode`	string	Optional	—	Language for results (e.g. `en`)
`maxItems`	number	Optional	Unlimited	Maximum results to return across all queries
`maxPagesPerQuery`	integer	Optional	`1`	Maximum result pages per query
`mobileResults`	boolean	Optional	`false`	Fetch mobile SERP layout
`customMapFunction`	string	Optional	—	JavaScript function to transform each output object

Workflow

Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Search Google News for brand + time filter
- [ ] Step 2: Classify editorial vs. press release
- [ ] Step 3: Classify coverage sentiment
- [ ] Step 4: Identify top publications and story themes
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver press monitoring report

Step 1: Run google-search-scraper

Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):

# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~google-search-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}'

# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~google-search-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv

# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~google-search-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json

APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.

If Apify MCP is available:

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~google-search-scraper"
Input:
{
  "queries": ["\"[BRAND_NAME]\" news", "[BRAND_NAME] announcement"],
  "maxPagesPerQuery": 3,
  "countryCode": "US",
  "searchType": "news"
}

REST API fallback:

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~google-search-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"queries": ["\"[BRAND_NAME]\" news"], "maxPagesPerQuery": 3, "searchType": "news"}'

Step 2: Classify Coverage

coverage_type:
  PRESS_RELEASE = domain: prnewswire, businesswire, globenewswire
  EDITORIAL = major publication (TechCrunch, Forbes, WSJ, Bloomberg)
  TRADE = industry publication
  NEGATIVE_FLAG = title contains: "lawsuit", "scandal", "fraud", "investigation"

sentiment_from_headline:
  POSITIVE = "raises", "launches", "wins", "grows", "partners", "expands"
  NEGATIVE = "cuts", "loses", "sued", "drops", "fails", "controversy"

Step 3: Edge Cases

Brand name is common word: Use exact match quotes; add qualifier
Old coverage returned: Use after:[DATE] query operator
Negative from major publication: Flag as PR_ATTENTION_NEEDED
Competitor coverage much higher volume: PR gap analysis signal

Output Format

# Google News Monitor: [BRAND_NAME]
Period: [DATE_RANGE] | Articles: [N] | Publications: [N] | Date: [DATE]

Coverage: Editorial [N] | Press Releases [N] | Negative flags [N]
Sentiment: [X%] Positive | [X%] Negative | [X%] Neutral

## Headlines (Chronological)
| Date | Publication | Headline | Type | Sentiment | URL |
|------|------------|---------|------|-----------|-----|

## ⚠️ PR Attention Needed
[Negative articles requiring monitoring]

Troubleshooting

Too few results: Brand has limited press; try without quotes for broader matching. Reviews not press in results: Add -site:yelp.com -site:glassdoor.com to queries. Google blocks news search: Use searchType: "web" with news-domain anchors.

monitoring-google-news-coverage-for-brand