Using Google Alerts, you can set up a monitoring system to track anything you want, such as finding out what’s being said about you or your company; keeping track of articles you write under your name; monitoring the competition or simply to keep up to date on any given topic.
Google Alerts has many beneficial uses, and many of those can help you blog. Keep reading to find out how this internet monitoring program can help you become a better blog.
1. Find Content Ideas
Using Google Alerts, you keep up with your niche and find the latest news, trends, etc. regarding the subject you blog about. This can be a handy tool for bloggers who are strapped for content ideas, as monitoring what’s going on in your niche can help you find topics to write about.
You can even use Google Alerts to follow other bloggers in your niche to see what they’re writing about, which may inspire you to come up with your own unique perspective on a given topic.
2. Brand Monitoring
Google Alerts can help you monitor what’s being said about, your blog and/or your business. Why is this useful? You can set up Google Alerts to monitor certain keywords, such as your blog name, your business name and your personal name, and they will e-mail you anytime they find those keywords in their search.
This can be a great way to keep track of your company and any bad publicity you may be getting, because let’s face it – it’s impossible to create a brand that EVERYONE loves. With Google Alerts, you can be instantly notified when and where the bad content was placed, and be able to respond accordingly.
3. Keep Track of the Competition
Keeping track of the competition in your niche can help you be a better blogger, and ensure you’re staying as up to date in your niche as your competitors are. You can set up Google Alerts to include specific keywords, like your biggest competitors’ names, company names and blogs so you can see what they are doing and when they are doing it.
This might sound a bit stalker-like, but in all reality, keeping informed of what your competitors are doing can only help you be a better blogger in the long run.
4. Know when Others Link to your Blog
Set up a Google Alert with your blog address. When people link to your blog via that address, Google Alerts will send you an e-mail. This is an easy way to keep track of how many people are linking to you. The more people linking to you, the more likely it is they’re interested in what you are offering. This can help you forge new business relationships, acquire customers or increase your following.
As you can see, using Google Alerts can be very useful and help you when it comes time to blog. From finding new content ideas to keeping track of whose linking to you, as well as monitoring your competition, Google Alerts can help you be a better blogger – plus, it’s free, so what do you have to lose?
Discussion Time
Do you currently use Google Alerts? What kinds of things are you using it for?
Personally, I use Google Alerts for terms such as StudioPress, Genesis Framework and a few others. It’s always good to know I’ve got Google watching my back when it comes to folks talking (hopefully positively) about us.
There’s one more use if you’re selling something online (an extension of #4) – search for your site or product name and “coupon code” or “discount code” to see who is out there sharing codes. If they’re right, you have no issue and it’s another way to know who is talking about you. If they’re wrong, you have an easy way to invalidate codes and/or talk to someone about what they’re up to.
Completely true Chris – thanks for chiming in here. We actually do a lot of searching for discounts and coupon code searches with StudioPress. It’s actually quite scary what you can find.
I have numerous Google Alerts set up to keep me up-to-date on the latest trends in the fields I cover (visual thinking and innovation). Another outstanding tool for monitoring when individual web pages are updated – such as a competitor’s news release page or the home page of a blog – is InfoMinder (http://www.infominder.com/webminder/). The service gives you daily alerts via e-mail, and even includes small excerpts of the specific content that has changed on each page – so you can tell if it’s a substantive update worthy of your attention or not. I have close to 200 web pages tracked in this service, and can usually skim the list of alerts in a matter of minutes each morning. I couldn’t do what I do without it!
I agree Chuck – I don’t have time to scour the web to catch up on what’s being said about me and my company. It’s great that (once again Google to the rescue) there are tools that can help us save time.
I maintain a specialized time-sensitive database which requires lots of data mining. I consider Google Alerts to be a detailed, dedicated and highly cost-effective research assistant providing me with both solid leads and some very concise information to develop. Best of all it’s pushed content 24/7/365.
You got that right Joe. Best thing, is that it’s a Virtual Assistant that costs NO MONEY.
Brian,
I have used alerts for years essentially as you are suggesting. As a 1. way to see what my competitors are doing, what are they writing about, what is popping up in Google for regional keywords. 2. To see what others are saying about me , also helps to see if my content is popping up in other places. 3. To keep me up to date with issues in my region that I can then write about on my blog..4. Introduces me to new businesses moving into the area (potential clients) I do similar searches on Tweetdeck in Twitter for the same reasons.
John, sounds like you’ve got it down pat. Well done!
Frankly, I didn’t even know Google Alerts existed. It is intriguing. I don’t think any and all publicity is good publicity, because if all you ever receive is negative publicity, then that is not good. But it would be nice to see what others are saying out there in the blogosphere.
For me, I need to get a few more readers before I’m too concerned what others are saying about my blog.
Google Alerts is an excellent idea for folks who are covering newsworthy things. Either it gives them something to tweet about (see #7) or more importantly something to blog about on their site.
I use Google alerts religiously. My websites cover a lot of different niches, so the alerts save me a lot of time and effort. They’re also great for finding like-minded blogs on which to leave comments and, hopefully, build relationships.
Nice site you have.
Love the line…
“This website is built on the Genesis Framework. Hence the sexiness.”
Thanks, Keith! I’ve been changing many of my sites over to the Genesis framework/child themes. Slowly but surely, they’re all bringing sexy back.
Heard of Google Alerts, but never even crossed my mind that I could use it.
Number 4 sounds useful… “Know when Others Link to your Blog”
Be useful to get an email letting me know when someone links.
Love this one Brian, I’m a huge fan of using Google Alerts to stay on top of a number of topics.
I really did not knew about Google Alerts. This is definitely very useful in order to be updated.
Thanks, this will be very useful! When I’m in Chicago, I owe you a latte!
I’m always down for free lattes.
I use it primarily for #1 and #4 as you have outlined them. Since I sell software for download I use alerts to tell me if my product name is appearing somewhere it shouldn’t (i.e. anywhere but my own site).
I use Google alerts religiously. My websites cover a lot of different niches, so the alerts save me a lot of time and effort. They’re also great for finding like-minded blogs on which to leave comments and, hopefully, build relationships.
Thank you for this useful article Brian. Lucky for me I chose your page when I was looking for easy to understand info about google alert. From now on I’ll be following you
More Power
Thanks for the article Brian. I’m using Google alerts in my Google Reader so I always catch the news… I read my feeds on my mobile on the way to work in the morning.