Knowledge is power. And Google Alerts can notify whenever specific terms are published online.
Wouldn’t you like to know when someone publishes something related to industry news, products, your business, competitive businesses or even just you as a person?
Fortunately, Google Alerts are easy to set up and free to use. All you need is a Gmail account, and then you can start receiving relevant email notifications in real-time.
This is particularly helpful if you’re regularly running a competitive analysis to inform your business and digital marketing strategies.
The following is how you can set up, edit and even delete Google Alerts so that you and your business can be in the know.
Create a Google Alert
To start, you’ll want to go to the Google Alerts landing page. Make sure that you’re signed in with your preferred Gmail account.
In the top field that says, “Create an alert about…”, you can type in whatever phrase or term you want. Keep in mind that quote marks around a phrase will better ensure that you get exact matches.
You’ll immediately see a preview of the type of content you will be alerted about, whether there are recent results or not.
Of course, you can customize your settings by clicking “Show Options.” You can then change the:
- Frequency of alerts
- Type of websites you’ll see
- Language preference
- Region of the world for your alerts
- Number of results you want to see
- Delivery email for the alerts
Once you’re satisfied with the search and the settings, click “Create Alert.” That’s it!
Edit a Google Alert
To edit your existing Google Alerts, navigate to the Google Alerts landing page. Once you’re logged in with your preferred Gmail account, you should see all your existing alerts.
Next to an alert you want to edit, click the “edit” pencil icon. If you’re not seeing any options, click “Show Options,” and make your changes. Then, click “Update Alert.”
To change how you receive Google Alerts in general, click the “settings” gear wheel icon in the top right, and edit from there. You can change your delivery time and whether you want more of a digest-style notification email.
Delete a Google Alert
Deleting any alert that are no longer relevant to you is easy. Simply navigate to the Google Alerts landing page, and make sure you’re logged in with your preferred Gmail account.
Next to an alert that you want to delete, click the “delete” trash icon. You also can delete an alert by clicking “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of that alert’s email.
In conclusion
Understanding what’s being said about you, your business or products, your competition or even just general industry-related news arms you in this competitive online world.
Of course, this shows you both the good and the bad. See our 11 tips to best respond to any negative reviews or posts.
Google alerts can also help you build your personal brand. Check out our 10 tips to build up your personal brand and grow your business.
As you begin creating relevant Google Alerts, consider optimizing your digital marketing process, which includes automation, audience segmentation and enhanced email marketing capabilities, to name a few. DailyStory can help. Schedule your free demo with us today.
