Google alerts notify users of new web content via email or information feed. Users can set up alerts for specific search terms, frequency, and sources. It’s important to use specific search terms.
A Google® alert is a notification sent to your email or information feed informing users of new content that has appeared on the web. There are a number of reasons why people use this type of content monitoring service. Some people use this service to find out when their name appears in web content. Others use it to learn about specific topics that interest them or are part of a research project. Companies also sometimes use this type of content monitoring service to find out when the company name appears in new web content or to inquire about online reviews and discussions about the company’s products.
To start receiving this type of alerts, a person must create an account with Google and define the parameters of his search. To set up a search to start receiving alerts, users first identify their search terms. For example, a person interested in receiving alerts about the Rilo Kiley band would use the band’s name as a search term. Users can also create settings that define how often they want to receive alerts and the maximum number of new search results they want to see in a single Google® alert.
Users can also define what type of sources they want the Google® alert system to search. A user who is primarily interested in discovering new Rilo Kiley videos, for example, might narrow their Google® alert parameters to searches that include video clips of the band. In other cases, users can focus their Google® alerts on news stories, blog posts, and web discussions. You can sign up for a variety of Google® alerts for different search terms. For example, a person might sign up for Google® alerts for information about his favorite sports teams, a story he is particularly curious about, and a company he directly competes with in his professional life.
When setting up a Google® search alert, it’s important to make sure you use search terms that are as specific as possible. A search term like “Barack Obama,” for example, is likely to produce thousands of results a day. Years ago, people paid to scan newspapers and related media for certain terms and topics. There are still some services that require payment. Nowadays however, many people use an alert service from Google®, which is free.
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