How to Set Up Google Alerts (And Why You Need To)

Google Alerts is one of the most versatile online tools. It allows you to listen to conversations you may not be aware of. Conversations that involve you or your brand (and maybe even your competitors). As you manage your online presence, it's important to listen to what people are saying and how they are saying it. You want to know if other sites are linking to you, quoting you, supporting you, or complaining about you. You want to know what your competition is up to and how they are faring. Enter Google Alerts, the free online tool that lets you track keywords and phrases effortlessly so you never miss another important conversation.

What is Google Alerts?

In Get Started with Google Alerts, Rebecca Leaman explains what Google Alerts is: "You can think of Google Alerts as a customized Google Search — on-going — that delivers the search results to you automatically. You can set up any number of Alerts (up to 1000 per email address) to help you monitor online activity for the search terms of your choice."

How can I use Google Alerts?

Catherine White reminds us why Google Alerts is a powerful tool: It allows you to monitor your competition, your influence, the conversation, your social media accounts, and your relationship. That's a lot of bang for your buck--especially since Google Alerts is free.

Lori Osterberg (Using Google Alerts for Blogging Ideas) suggests using Google Alerts as a sort of writing prompt: "By using Google Alerts for your keywords and key phrases, you can find a lot of ideas for future blog posts. You’ll be led to other websites and blogs with ideas you can continue on with. And you’ll receive news and press releases on brand new items coming out that you can alert your readers to."

How do I set up Google Alerts?

Setting up Google Alerts is a simple process--you don't even have to have a Gmail account to use Google Alerts.

1. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts/ where you'll see this page:
   
2. Sign in if you have a Gmail account. If you don't have a Gmail account, you can just start filling out the Google Alert form.
3. Enter the search terms you want to track, separated by commas. You can edit this later if you find you have too many or too few terms. If you're not sure what to track, start with your name and your blog's name. You may also want to include keywords related to your brand and your niche.
4. Choose the Type of search you want Google Alerts to create. Rebecca Leaman's article on setting up Google Alerts explains each type of search and what you can expect:
   • News (includes the latest news articles that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google News search.")
   • Blogs (includes blog articles that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google Blog search.")
   • Web (includes web pages that mention your terms and "appear in the top twenty results of your Google Web search.")
   • Comprehensive (includes results from News, Blogs, and Web, etc. that mention your terms. It's, um, comprehensive.)
   • Video (includes videos that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google Video search.")
   • Groups (includes posts that mention your search terms and "appear in the top fifty results of your Google Groups search.")
5. Choose how often you'd like to receive your Google Alerts. I like to receive mine once a day simply because I'm trying to cut down on the time I spend checking e-mail. However, if you're tracking a timely project or news story, you may want to choose as-it-happens. Likewise, if you're just keeping tabs on something that mildly interests you, but isn't critical, you can choose once a week.
6. Choose where you'd like the Google Alerts delivered. If you have a Gmail account, you can receive them via gmail. If you'd rather, you can receive them via RSS or another e-mail account.
7. Click the Create Alert button and finish.

That's it. Easy and free. Honestly, does it get better than that?

Melanie Nelson writes easy-to-follow instructions and tips for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She thinks Google Alerts are genius and wishes the simplicity of that tool would bleed over into her life.