Google Alerts
Do you happen to use Google Alerts to track what people are saying about you and your products?
I have been using it for several months. I wish I'd used it sooner. In the past I have used a combination of Awstats (to see what other sites link to me, including search engines) and WordPress Psychic Search to see what search phrases bring people to my sites -- and what they search for when they get there.
(I once joined a $60/month membership site just because their private message board was sending traffic to one of my products and I wanted to see what people were saying.)
It's saved me a ton of time. I don't need to hop on Google to check and see if any new affiliates have popped up or if anyone has reviewed my products, I just get an "as-it-happens" e-mail... usually within the first few hours.
Just today I got an e-mail alert when someone mentioned my new Action Optin script, and I was the first person to leave a comment on his blog post.
Now that the Warrior Forum is search engine friendly I know right away if someone mentions me.
(This is BIG as it keeps me out of forums... which are huge timewasters for me.)
What's even more powerful: entering the names of all your products as Google Alerts... and your competitors' products... and the names of your competitors!
I have also found discussions about my products and new affiliate sites when my name was not even mentioned.
I got that idea when some people were badmouthing an internet marketer on a message board, and they were very careful about misspelling his name and product names on purpose... just in case he had a Google alert set.
As luck would have it, one of the forum commenters spelled his product name correctly just ONCE, and the product creator found his way onto that board.
Google Alerts have been around for 4 years, but almost no one uses them... do you? Do you use it to spy on your competitors, track your products, stop plagiarism, jump on blog conversations, or something I haven't thought of?
Filed in: Productivity
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Thanks for the information and all the other posts here. You are building an extensive library of materials and I appreciate it.
I’ve been using Google Alerts for about 2 years now and they are fantastic. Wouldn’t be without them.
You’ve reminded me to mention it to my members. So much of what we do everyday we take for granted that everyone else knows.
Aaron
Hi Robert
You hit the nail. While quite a few (I would still think it is in single digit percentage) Internet marketeres use it, people outside don’t use it very often.
And this is a great tool for reputation management. I have been alerted to so many new developments about my clients, I have lost count. Highly recommended!
Arun
And just to drive the point home… exactly TEN MINUTES after I posted to my blog, a Google Alert landed in my inbox alerting me to this very blog post.
Robert once again great subject.
I have been using Google Alerts for a few years now and love them. I have about 50 alerts setup; competitors, my own domains, my name etc.
J.R. Jackson (a.k.a. MLM’s $8-Million Man)
http://www.JRJackson.com
Good call, Robert! Google Alerts rock! I’ve been using them for 2-3 years now. When Rodney and I got an article into the AP that mentioned one of our sites, our PR went from 0 to 5 in just 5 hours. And the alerts came FLOODING in after one newspaper (yes, print!) and MAJOR website after another picked up the article.
I was even alerted to the fact that the paper in my small town ran the article – and they were, oddly enough, one of the first.
I hadn’t used them so much for spying on competitors, etc. but that’s an excellent use for them.
I recently discovered Google Alerts as well. It’s awesome.
Anytime my name is mentioned ANYWHERE on the Internet, I know about it.
Anytime one of my products is mentioned I know about it.
Google is just such a great company.
Good reminder for those not using it to use it. Heck, it’s free!
Hi Robert,
I guessed Google Alerts from your email teaser, but I just had to click to be sure 😉 Great email.
Fantastic information. Never thought of using it myself, but I will be doing so now!
OMG!
I should have been misspelling your name all this time!
Caught in the act! I’m so embarrassed! 😉
Yeah that was a fun email to write… yet another reason not to use RSS or feedburner emails.
I quickly listed a few benefits of the service without giving away what it was… didn’t even direct link… (that would have given it away) I just said go to robertplank.com and respond to the August 25th entry. Got way more clickthrus that way.
10 comment quota filled in 56 minutes.
p.s. Here’s that email I sent out in case anyone reading is not on my list… it REALLY sucks, totally off the cuff, and took about 2 minutes to write.
I’ve been using Google Alerts for a good while and discovered them a lot like you did. I posted to my blog one day and mentioned a person who commented within minutes.
I also love it for all of the other Bob Stovalls I have found out about.
Google alerts, reader, igoogle are all great tools. I use them daily. Excellent for niche research to.
Your ten comment rule is pretty amazing. My blog is one that usually only draws comments from a negative product review (creator probably uses alerts lol) or when I ask for specific feedback/offer something for feedback.
The most comments I have ever had was around 82.
I asked readers to email me with BAM in the subject line and they would get a free gift. 82 comments and 82 emails if I remember correctly.
As a reader I dislike feedburner personally.
Anyway good stuff.
Hi Robert –
I was aware of Google Alerts but never got around to checking it out. I know that if you take the time to send out an email I should listen. So for the first time I just set up some Google alerts.
Thanks for lighting a fire under my tired butt.
John
Actually, I guessed the answer was going to be Google Reader — but yes, I use (and love) Google news and blog alerts… another very handy Google tool.
The main way I use it is for client marketing — I can track phrases related to technology one of my clients sells, and see who is buying and selling other products in this field (as this technology is often the subject of major company announcements because the sales are in the multi-million dollar range) … that gives me a potential customer/distributor/partner to approach on behalf of this client.
Quite often, because it also brings up current news stories relating to this technology, I can quickly see what issues/concerns people are having and use that material to help handle potential objections — it shortcuts my research.
One way a friend uses the Blog alerts is like you mentioned above … track phrases related to your field of interest, and then leave a comment on the blog entry … it’s a great way to help with “expert positioning” and keep abreast of relevant online conversations — and she often gets feedback that she “always seems be around” when her favourite topics are discussed online.
Hi Robert
First of all you don’t need Google Alerts to see if people say something sh*tty about your products because all your products speak for themselves. 🙂
In fact, I have written positively on my blogs – not because of affiliate linking to your blog – but simply because I can vouch for the fact that you DO deliver what you promise. Something rather rare in an industry where somewhere around 40% deliver the same PLR stuff at dumping prices.
When that is said I do use Google Alerts to spot how quickly my material is being indexed and also because it saves me a monthly check-up on a Windows desktop programme I used many years ago. Long since I went through Linux over to MacOS, and subsequently a sort-by-date using Advanced Google Search was now performed.
Google Alerts is smart and I wonder how anyone could forget such an amazing tool – it’s free. 🙂
So keep up the good work.
I’ve been using Google Alerts since May 2004, but I also use another tool that gets results from several search engines: http://alp-uckan.net/free/monitorthis/
Another thing is that I wonder why someone would badmouth somebody and seek to hide it? What a coward!
For ages now, I’ve been meaning to get myself setup with Google Alerts and I just haven’t! I think I’m going to spend a little bit on this later, and then see who is talking about me! HEHE
Plus I was *shocked* to see my name and blog post on the screenshot there Robert! (Maybe it was some inspiration for Robert to actually post something else to his blog!) 😉
I’m away not to set this up now I think, instead of later on whan I’ll probably forget!
Thanks
Mark
Rob,
we’ve been using it ever since Jack Humphrey
mentioned it a few years ago.
We’re always curious to see where the alert comes from.
-Steve
Hi Robert,
This free service of Google’s is absolutely fantastic. Anyone serious about marketing online should be using it.
Google Alerts is just one of the many innovations that makes Google such a great marketing powerhouse. Just look how Gmail has knocked Yahoo and Hotmail email subscribers down by 80%. Keep it up Google, you’ve definitely made my life a lot easier.
Sorry, just wanted to clear up a mistake on my part.
Google is not the one’s who developed Google Alerts. It was developed by a company called Indigo Stream Technologies.
Maybe Google will purchase this site like they did YouTube. It is a great resource.
Robert you never cease to amaze me. The information you give out on your blog is invaluable.
I didn’t know about Google Alerts, but I just set up a few alerts. I will definitely use this tool.
Thanks for all the great info you give us, I truly appreciate it!
Robert,
Great Teaser Email,
Even though i KNEW the answer was going to be google alerts!
now ill check out the other site listed in one of your comments here above (Britt Malka):
http://alp-uckan.net/free/monitorthis/
Paydex 🙂
Robert,
Did it alert you when I made that infamous “Don Lepre & Robert Plank” Video?
-Jason Fladlien
Yep, and I had your name in there too so it showed me the Krishna rapper video you sent to Oprah…
LOL~
Hi Robert,
I do agree that Google Alerts is a great tool to have. Started using it only recently and it saved me time in getting information on the niche I am working in. Wished I found this much earlier!
CK
I’m surprised that more people don’t use this valuable tool. It’s a great way to find links to your blog. In fact it is usually the 1st place I’ll notice them. A really cool set it & forget it tool.
Robert,
Thanks for the reminder to check my acct; I’ve been using Alerts for months and the traffic grows fast. Hard to keep up some days, but what a cool tool. Later… 😉
Regards,
Cheri
Yeah, I am using it. It’s a great tool.
I see key benefits here:
1. It saves time.
2. It lets you spy competitors.
3. Everything is as it happens, real-time.
Want to know how I am using it?
Check out my blog url to get the full story! 🙂
Hint – I get content ideas for new blog posts…
Hmm… just discovered Google Alerts and I’m busily setting up a bunch now.
Is it possible to target a specific site? For instance, if you just launched a WSO on the Warrior Forum it would be cool to target a bunch of relevant keywords as the popup in the main forum…
Is that possible?