What are Google Alerts?
Launched in 2003, Google Alerts is a free tool that allows you to monitor the web for any fresh and new content that matches a particular topic or search query – directly to your Gmail inbox.
In addition to being 100% free, it is customisable to what keyword or topic you want to see and how often you want to receive alerts, from as much as once a day, to weekly or even as soon as it appears.
Why Use Google Alerts?
It’s something we always say, but it couldn’t be any less true – the internet is a big place, and it’s only getting bigger.
For users, it’s a great way to get updates on topics you are truly interested in – whether it is news, blogs, upcoming books and movies, videos and more. The possibilities are endless!
However, for brands and businesses? It’s can be a powerful monitoring tool. When running a brand or website, information is essential. Industries are constantly changing, and if you’re not keeping up, you’re losing out on key opportunities that can help your business thrive.
Because it’s so customisable, Google alerts can help businesses keep track of a range of data, including:
- Brand mentions
- Good and bad reviews
- Competitor content
- Industry content and topics
- Uncovering guest posting opportunities
- Monitoring unlinked mentions
- Monitor link injections for low quality links and spam
- Find and answer industry questions and queries
Pro Tip: When setting up Google Alerts, be sure to include common misspellings and colloquialisms, so you don’t miss out on potentially beneficial information!
Google Alert Limitations
While Google Alerts can be an incredibly beneficial tool, it does come with some limitations to consider so that you can bridge the gap with other tools.
- Does not monitor social medial mentions. This is quite a significant drawback as users are more likely to take to social media to express their views (good or bad!).
- Only shows results from indexed pages. While this does not affect a user’s experience, for businesses it’s a good idea to monitor all mentions of your brand – even ones that others might not see.
- It offers no reporting features. As a free tool, Google Alerts do not offer any data visualisation, which is beneficial to see various trends or how much your brand is mentioned over a specific period of time or in a region.
Top Tips for Creating Google Alerts
While it is easy to set up, there are ways to ensure that your alerts are the best they can be. Here are some top tips to consider:
- Avoid common or generic keywords: Be as specific as possible. Having too many alerts will flood your inbox, providing as much value as if you didn’t have any set up in the first place! By choosing precise terms related to your niche, you’ll get the most relevant insights without unnecessary clutter.
- Make more than one: With a limit of 1,000 alerts per person, create multiple alerts to cover different aspects of your interests or industry. This way, you can keep each alert focused on specific topics and gather a diverse range of information.
- Be creative: Think outside the box when setting up your alerts. Use different combinations of keywords, phrases, or even related topics to capture a broader range of information
- Use the filters: Take advantage of the filters in Google Alerts to refine your results. You can filter by source type (news, blogs, web, etc.), language, region, and frequency. This helps you tailor the alerts to your specific needs and ensures you receive only the most relevant updates.
