Google Alerts are simply email alerts that enable you to monitor your brand, competition, industry media and any other topics of interest. You type in the word or phrase you wish to monitor, and then select where Google should look: web sites, blogs and videos are just some of the options. You can choose to have the emails delivered daily, weekly or real-time depending on your preference. You don’t need a Google account – just a valid email address.
To get a feel for the tool, try setting up an alert for your name and company name to see if you’re getting any buzz. Trust me when I say if I can do it so can you!
Here’s an example. I write a monthly column for the American Marketing Association on marketing careers so to stay current on this topic I created a Google Alert for the terms “marketing jobs careers.”
Now when I sit down each month to write my column, my research is already done!
If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur and managing your own public relations efforts, Google Alerts is a great way to start building a media list of reporters covering your industry.
What other ways are you using Google Alerts? I hope you’ll share your ideas with us here. You can also chat with me on Twitter, on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn.