How to Set Up Google Alerts


Blogging Tips and Tricks at Ordinary Lives

From time to time I'll be posting blogging tips and tricks. Just little things I've learned along the way. There's a quick link to them in the menu above, under the Blogging Stuff tab. ;-) To get us started, here's a question I'm often asked, so I thought I'd post it. It's one of those tools I use, and it can be encouraging! Unless of course the other person or people with your name is into some...nefarious things. LoL

Google Alerts are useful as a writer to find who's mentioning you, who's using one of your articles (Faithwriters has a Free Reprint section, which is really great for writers and those looking for free articles to use in newsletters and such), and someplace you might've submitted an article to and forgotten about (it happens quite easily when you have a memory like mine!). Have a tagline? Set up an alert for that too!

As a reader, Google Alerts are handy if you enter book giveaways--or any giveaways for that matter. If you win, there's a good chance the post and link will land in your inbox so you can claim your prize. And that's always good!  ;-)


Of  course, you can set Google Alerts for anything and everything you want, making it so you don't miss those things you're really interested in--although you might occasionally be a little to the party.

Here's how you set up a Google Alert:
  • Sign in to Google.
  • In the upper left corner click the drop down menu for More.
  • Select Even More.
  • In the the Specialized Search section select Alerts (look for the gold bell).
  • Type your name in the box inside quotation marks
  • Make your selections as far as type, frequency and email addy

That's it! Set up two alerts—with quote marks and without. You can always edit your alerts or delete them. It's a great tool! You can always edit or delete your Alerts by going into the Alerts area of Google and clicking "Manage your alerts".

So tell me, what do you use Google Alerts for?

6 comments:

  1. I don't know what happened - apparently, I didn't have my alerts set up!! No idea when they disappeared - but they did! Glad you did this - if only so I could reset them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. =] I wonder if they were set to your old email acct?

    I have an email acct I use for most of my alerts and when my inet went wonky I turned it off to make getting email possible, and then forgot to turn it back on. *eye roll* So when I did this post I found the problem and turned it back on. =]

    Funny that both of us have used Google Alerts for years but found this post useful. LoL

    ReplyDelete
  3. hehe - perhaps. But I could have SWORN I've gotten alerts since I switched domains. Whatever :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I didn't know about this feature. Once again you have taught me and I've set up Alerts just to see what pops up.
    Today as I sat on the patio writing and reflecting I was so thankful for your help and encouragement. Your tutorials & responses to my "help me" emails made the overwhelming simple. I'm happily blogging because of you help, encouragement and guidance.
    (((hugs)))

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Cheryl, but I have to say, it just totally cracks me up. You're the one who got me blogging to begin with and taught me how to do something as basic as change the background color on my original layout. LoL

    Did you do an alert for "SeaLevel320"? Love your site. =]

    ReplyDelete
  6. Its fun to teach each other at different times in life.

    I didn't do an alert for SeaLevel320 but I shall now. :-) Thanks--I'm glad you love it. I love yours too.

    ReplyDelete

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