Google Alerts are one of the best ways of keeping up to date with news that matters to you and your business.
I bang on about these all the time in my training sessions as they are a great way to newsjack and get your expertise into a developing story which can help build your brand awareness. It’s also a great way of monitoring media mentions rather than paying for monitoring. Alerts are an indispensable tool for entrepreneurs, small business owners and multinationals alike.
And best of all, they’re free and easy to set up. With a few clicks, you’ll have relevant news straight into your inbox.
But it’s important to set alerts up correctly otherwise you’ll be drowning in notifications for events that have nothing to do with your business.
Here’s a guide for setting up tailor-made Google Alerts:
Step one: Work out what topics are relevant for your business. Too broad and you’ll be swamped by notifications, to specific and you’ll never get an alert.
Write a list of key search terms relate to your expertise or business activity. Check you’re on the right path by entering these terms into Google news search to see what comes up. Refine by adding more detail if necessary.
Step two: Go to google.com/alerts. You’ll need to be logged in with the Google account you want to use.
Step three: Choose your keywords. Try to make them specific and relevant. You can always tweak later so feel free to add one or two more just to cover your bases.
Tip: If you’re looking for a specific sequence of words, group them in speech marks “”, otherwise Google will look for each of those words separately.
Avoid generic or common key words. You’ll get a preview of articles related to the search terms when you’re inputting them. Are the results relevant? If not, be more specific.
You can set up multiple alerts. So you could put “your brand” + key word. This is a good way of monitoring comments about your business. Feel free to add phrases within speech marks. Use this to find out about potential marketing opportunities. For example, if you’re a female entrepreneur looking for inspiration or opportunities, add those terms, see if the results are relevant. Get creative too, if you’re looking to contribute to publications about small business, you might just unearth the perfect opportunity.
Alerts are also great for keeping tabs on what coverage your rivals are getting.
Step four: Select the frequency. Your options are as it happens, once a day or once a week. If you want to receive notifications in close to real time, select "as it happens.”
Step five: Choose your sources: news, blogs, videos, or even books. Select the region you want. Under the ‘How many” option, google will sift through the most authoritative sources. This is worth ticking if you’re getting lots of random publications showing up.
Now you’re good to go! You’ll have your finger on the pulse of your industry.
The only thing now is to make sure you’re ready to go the moment a PR opportunity drops in your inbox.
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Alison Jackson-Carter is a ‘PR Pro’ who has spent her career helping people and businesses share stories. As a journalist she spent her 20s working for newspapers, ITV’s This Morning programme, Sky News and 5 News. She then moved into PR where she has worked with hundreds of household brands to increase their media profile.
Since she moved to PR she has led teams that have won awards, launched a successful podcast that has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, and achieved millions of pounds worth of media coverage for brands.
Her passion for supporting women in business led her to launch Enlighten PR where she helps small business owners and entrepreneurs raise their profile and communicate with confidence about their business. In her downtime she can be found listening to The Archers or trying to read while her children and dog climb all over her.