Using Google Alerts to Stay Alert to the Web

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Using Google Alerts to Stay Alert to the Web

Google Alert Management

One of the things I learned as a newbie writer from my Associated Content/Yahoo mentors group was to set google alerts. You can do this by going to to the google alert link and signing up if you haven't already.

Why would you want to set up a Google Alert?

Google indexes new articles all day long. Ho

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wever sometimes articles don't get indexed for several days if the author/publisher has low ranking with Google. You can set up a google alert on your pen name, and this will help you gauge how quickly your work is being indexed. If the article is a timely one, rather than an evergreen one, the quicker the google alert, the better chance you have of having multiple readers looking at your work.

What to set a google alert on?

I have several google alerts set up. One is on my real name, another on my pen name, and another on my book name, Bad Girl Gone Bad. I also have a few keywords or special topics that I like to read up on and enjoy being notified every time there is an article on the web that is published with these key words in it.

On google's page, they suggest you might set an alert for these reasons too:

monitoring a developing news story
keeping current on a competitor or industry
getting the latest on a celebrity or event
keeping tabs on your favorite sports team

Google will send you an email once a day, or immediately upon the indexing of your special topics, depending upon how you set up the alert. It's easy and provides an easy way to query the web for the topics that concern you the most.

Do you use google alerts, and if so, how do you use them?

One of the things I track is reviews for my memoir. I do this by setting the google alert to "Bad Girl Gone Mom Reviews". Just to let you know, I'll know right away, so please if you haven't yet done it, but you've read the book, please leave a review: http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Girl-Gone-K..., good bad, or indifferent.

Thanks!