Why Google Alerts is the most effective free marketing tool

Today we’re talking search tips to improve the accuracy of your Alerts, then I’m sharing super-sleuth strategies to maximize your Alerts and take your marketing strategy to a whole new level.

It’s easy to get started on Google Alerts; all you need is an email address. Go to www.google.com/alerts. You’ll see five boxes: Search Query (what you’re looking for), Result Type (“Everything” is a great place to start), How Often (“Once a day” is fine), How Many (start with “All results”), and Deliver To (your email address.) You can set up to 1,000 Alerts, so it’s basically limitless.

OK, now that you’ve learned how to search, let’s talk about what to search:

1. Set up Alerts on you, your team and your business.

You’ll want Alerts for yourself, key team members, business name, domain name, and top employees. Why? To fully monitor what people are saying about you, your employees, and your business.

Bonus tip: Set up Alerts on the names of your top partners and customers—and send them congratulatory messages when they make the news.