Alert! Alert! Everyone should set Google alerts

Do you have Google Alerts set with keywords so you can monitor particular events, newsworthy items and interests in your career life or otherwise? If not, and especially if you’re livelihood is made from communicating about the outdoors, you should.

Why should you set these alerts? According to Google’s page: Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:

* monitoring a developing news story

* keeping current on a competitor or industry

* getting the latest on a celebrity or event

* keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams

In order to set Google Alerts, you must have a Gmail account, which is free and easy to set up quickly here. You may set alerts to feed into your email account once-a-day, as-it-happens or once-a-week. I choose “as-it-happens,” and filter all Google Alerts into a separate mailbox in my email system. There are more options, including picking up only news or blogs or including video streams.

And another good use for Google Alerts is to set your own name as an alert. You might be surprised at what people are writing about you! Or maybe not?

If you would like to see a tutorial about Google Alerts, check this video.

~Barbara Baird