For years I’ve used numerous Google services, but until I read Day 10 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, I didn’t know much about Google Alerts. It’s another great internet productivity tool with a variety of uses.
Google Alerts allows you to get either a feed in your blog reader or an email in your inbox whenever Google locates your chosen keyword(s). You can choose to search in the news, on blogs, in videos, or a number of other places on the web.
Since I already use Google Reader, completing this assignment was easy and convenient. Rather than set up alerts to fill my inbox (spam is already doing a great job of this, thank you), I chose to subscribe to feeds.
I set up a number of alerts. Most were keywords in my blog niche. In addition I added a few “vanity” alerts, that will notify me of any references to my name or blog names/URLs. It’s a bit like the old celebrity clipping services, but fast and free.
As I monitor these feeds, they will need to be modified to give me the info I really want and need. Much like refining a google search, I’ll need to hone in on the specific information that will be helpful to me and useful to my readers.
I also looked into a few of the other alerts suggested — Technorati and Twitter alerts — but chose not to use them at this time. I’ll focus on Google Alerts and research the others more if either of those services seems helpful.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve set up some Google alerts, but didn’t realize I could add them in my reader feed! Thanks for the tip – now I can stop getting 4 e-mails from the alerts every day.
.-= Momma Drama´s last blog ..What’s This “Internet Stuff” About? =-.
Alison, I’ve used Google News Alerts for the last few months and find them very useful.
I do the feed with the comprehensive setting. E-mail notification is slow and can clog your inbox.
I’ve also found that a few of the terms are too broad and give too many results, so I’ve pared down my list.
And I also recommend the 31 Days to a Better Blog and encourage your readers to click your link and check it out.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Multitasking Can Increase Productivity — For Two Tasks, But Not Three =-.
Yea, pretty cool feature!
Google Alerts has been of those Google tool which I really can’t live without. Well, aside from twitter, it’s one of those tool that updates me efficiently. Plus, I was able to track down those blogs which duplicate my content.
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