A local-search behavior operating system
Ghost Engine is Brian Costello's Windows-first Node engine for controlled browser behavior around local search. It combines personas, residential proxies, geo-matched fingerprints, CTR sessions, account warmup, rank tracking, geogrids, publishing, scheduling, and reporting behind one API and CLI.
- Verified local project: version 2.0.0 with 109+ plugins and 704 documented routes.
- Three modes: ghost for trusted OS input, hybrid for OS input plus browser reads, and speed for lower-risk CDP work.
- The engine is infrastructure. Accounts, proxies, warmup, realistic pacing, and measurement determine safety.
Identity, geography, behavior, and evidence stay coherent
Evidence → controlled action → measured result
Every run starts with a real property, query, city, approved account pool, and matching residential proxy. The engine selects an input mode, performs human-paced behavior, records events, updates account health, and feeds the next schedule.
- Identity: encrypted cookies, deterministic fingerprint, behavioral profile, and account health.
- Geography: proxy city, timezone, coordinates, language, and UULE must agree.
- Behavior: search, click, dwell, scroll, navigation, and realistic exit patterns.
- Evidence: rank movement, geogrid change, calls, conversions, failures, and health.
Owned GMBs are the safest first campaigns
Evidence → controlled action → measured result
Owned properties are the strongest candidates because you control the brand, site, GMB, tracking, and operational risk. Start with one measured pilot rather than activating the whole portfolio.
- Moving-services property A
- HVAC property
- Cleaning-services property A
- Moving-services property B
- Cleaning-services property B
- Roofing property
Run the lead-generation portfolio by family and city pod
Evidence → controlled action → measured result
The verified F-drive inventory contains 85 top-level lead-generation projects. Treat them as campaign families with shared governance, not as 85 unrelated automations.
- Roofing: Aurora Shield, Celestia Crest, Elite Roof Leak, Skyline, All Season, Mark Roofing, and city properties.
- Electrical: Big State, Cricket Residential, and Excel Electricians across multiple metros.
- HVAC: HVAC property, HVAC Repair Chief, and city repair properties.
- Plumbing: Peerless Plumbing and Dallas-area city properties.
- Restoration: mold remediation and water-damage properties.
Measure first, automate only after written approval
Evidence → controlled action → measured result
Client projects can use rank tracking, geogrids, account-safe publishing, and scoped CTR tests. Reviews, account creation, social posting, and behavioral campaigns require explicit client and risk approval.
- Solar client: rank, geogrid, controlled local-search pilot, and CallRail attribution.
- Multi-location home-service client location campaigns measured separately.
- Multi-location recovery client tracking and publishing.
- MDAI local clients: 12 folders spanning local service, legal, medical, dental, therapy, and remodeling.
- YMYL legal and health categories require stricter claims, review, and identity governance.
Connect through the API instead of copying engine logic
Evidence → controlled action → measured result
Several internal products are natural status, scheduling, attribution, and proof surfaces. They should call authenticated Ghost Engine routes and consume events rather than becoming competing engine implementations.
- Product wrapper: confirmed productized wrapper around the browser and automation core.
- Browser Ops Dashboard: sessions, modes, proxies, and event visibility.
- Bird's Eye ROI: rank, geogrid, call, and conversion attribution.
- Competitor Watch: baselines and movement alerts around target queries.
- LocalForge, Pleper Tools, and Domain Portfolio Dashboard: property setup and campaign inputs.