Google Alert is a powerful tool that can instantly let you know about any topic being mentioned on the Internet. If you are too busy to spend your time reading websites, blogs, and news channels to find specific information, you can use Google alert to, in effect, watch them for you.

Here’s how it works. Google alert is free and easy to use. All you need is an account with Google and you’re ready to go. You tell it which key words and descriptive phrases to search for and it sends you emails when these words are buzzing through the Internet. Here are a few short steps to set yourself up:

To start trying these tips for using Google Alerts, log in to your main Google account page and click on “Alerts.” You’ll be led to a page that asks you to enter search terms, types of places to search, and frequency of searches. Say you are trying to find a particular person or hot topic in the news, such as “Facebook Privacy.” You simply type that name or phrase and as soon as it is used, Google notifies you instantly.

Google Alerts can keep you on the cutting edge of what is happening without you being a slave to Internet research. You can also use it for your business as a way to see who is linking to you or your website. Just like big companies keep track the mention of their business name, you should too. If you are a prominent figure, such as an author, coach, or speaker, you definitely want to keep up with what your readers or listeners are saying. Try these tips for using Google Alerts yourself and let me know how it works for you!