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Alert: Using Google Alerts for SEO and PR

Author's avatar By Dave Chaffey 16 Sep, 2010
Essential Essential topic

How do you use Google Alerts in your marketing?

Value: [rating=4]

Our commentary: I think many marketers are signed up for Google Alerts and use it for the obvious, but useful. I usually recommend setting up alerts so that you're emailed when the following are included on a newly published page and first indexed by Google:

  • 1. Your "brand"
  • 2. Your "brand" +
  • 3. Your "brand" +/-
  • 4. Your "http://www.webaddress.com"
  • 5. Any of the above for competitors
  • 6. Any of the above for key customers (B2B)

If you want to exclude your own site or any other site you can use the -site:www.yoursite.com syntax

It's also worth remembering you can use negative's for example I use -books,-book since lots of retailers have pages featuring my books but I don't want to be alerted about those.

Here's an example of an alert I set up a while ago on my old site:
+"dave chaffey" -books -book -pdf -download -site:davechaffey.com

I was prompted to share this by an interesting new post on SEOptimise this week by Kelvin Newman which used Google Alerts with the Advanced Google syntax link: and site:.

Marketing implications: The suggestions in the post below which I felt are most useful are:

1. New links to your site or competitor sites using the Google "link:www.site.com" syntax (which as Kelvin points out is flawed, but it will show more significant links)

2. Newly indexed pages on your site using the "site:www.site.com" syntax - this may alert you to indexing problems if new pages aren't considered.

3. Alerts on competitor/customer/partner sites, again using the "site:www.site.com/subfolder" syntax - Kelvin suggests a press centre for example where you don't want to / can't track through an RSS feed.

Recommended link: Using Google Alerts for SEO and PR

How do you use Google Alerts? I'd be interested to hear your tricks.

Of course if you want to get serious and filter the mentions that matter, you'd need to check out the huge array of Brand monitoring software available today.

Author's avatar

By Dave Chaffey

Digital strategist Dr Dave Chaffey is co-founder and Content Director of online marketing training platform and publisher Smart Insights. 'Dr Dave' is known for his strategic, but practical, data-driven advice. He has trained and consulted with many business of all sizes in most sectors. These include large international B2B and B2C brands including 3M, BP, Barclaycard, Dell, Confused.com, HSBC, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, M&G Investment, Rentokil Initial, O2, Royal Canin (Mars Group) plus many smaller businesses. Dave is editor of the templates, guides and courses in our digital marketing resource library used by our Business members to plan, manage and optimize their marketing. Free members can access our free sample templates here. Dave is also keynote speaker, trainer and consultant who is author of 5 bestselling books on digital marketing including Digital Marketing Excellence and Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. In 2004 he was recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing as one of 50 marketing ‘gurus’ worldwide who have helped shape the future of marketing. My personal site, DaveChaffey.com, lists my latest Digital marketing and E-commerce books and support materials including a digital marketing glossary. Please connect on LinkedIn to receive updates or ask me a question.

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