Are You Using Google Alerts?

bycris1018

897 followers

Updated 5 years ago

A while back, somewhere in the midst of training, I had set up some Google Alerts.

Earlier, I received a good one on a topic that I've been researching, and it made me think that today might be a good day for an Introduction, or a Reminder, of how helpful Google Alerts can be for us.

What's Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a way to "monitor the web for interesting new content."

Why Use Google Alerts

It can be a real time saver when you're writing content to have current related news delivered right to your email inbox, rather than searching for it.

Where to Set Up Google Alerts

Go to www.google.com/alerts.

Type anything you would like into the search bar.

A message will appear with a button to "Create Alert."

Once clicked, the topic will be saved to your Alert List.

As an example, here's a screenshot with 2 alerts I have set that relate to us all:

Anybody on this platform can benefit from using those two topics to start.

Just enter any topic that you are writing about, including your niche itself, and any sub-topics that you're using for your posts.

Add as many alerts as you like that relate to any subtopics you would like to receive new content on.

How to Use Google Alerts

1. First, set up your alerts.

These can be set, deleted, or changed anytime you want.

2. Then, monitor your alerts.

When you receive your email with the current news articles pertaining to the alerts that you've set, scan over the titles to see if the content you are receiving is of use to you.

If not, go back and edit your alert.

If so, then read the articles that interest you to gain current knowledge of your topic, and information that you can use for your own content. (Do NOT Copy. Research and create your own original content.)

What's Your Advantage

Google Alerts allows you to receive alerts when new results show up in Google search for any topic you've entered.

What does that remind you of?

When we do Keyword Research, we are looking for keywords that are being searched, that, ideally, don't have a lot of competition, so we can rank.

This week, there have been some excellent posts regarding keyword research tools, and when we need to also use our gut instinct.

Using Google Alerts helps us by showing us exactly what new content is resulting in Google Search. (serps!) If you are writing on that topic, then this is your current competition!

You can use that as a "real time" tracker for your topic or niche.

Before you go writing your next post, you can compare some currently ranking titles, run some ideas through Jaaxy, and ultimately use that gut instinct as to which will lead to the best results.

In the process, you'll probably come up with more post ideas, and more keywords to search and add to your keyword lists!

Research, Research, Research

Google Alerts is also just good for doing research. You know how we use Lists in Jaaxy to create ongoing topics and ideas to write about?

When you make those lists, go to your alerts and enter in some keywords. When the time comes to write that particular post, you will have received some current news to do your research. The Research Comes To You! Less time digging.

Hope this was helpful!

Anyone else out there who is using Google Alerts? Have any tips that you want to share?

Better yet, how's this for a scenario...

Has anyone ever received an alert and seen their OWN article appear? (Or someone else's from the platform?) How COOL would that be???

Please Like and/or Comment below!

Have a great evening!

Cris