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8 Unconventional Ways to Use Google Alerts for Better
Blogging
We bloggers are always on the lookout f or f ree tools: f ree
blogging tools, f ree SEO tools, f ree marketing tools, and it goes
on and on!
Surprisingly, we have been ignoring the one tool which is not only
f ree, but has been handed down to us by the search engine Lord,
Google, and it’s called Google Alerts .
What is Google Alerts?
Google Alerts is a web content monitoring tool.
You enter a search keyword and the tool shows if the search
keyword appears in Google results.
You can select the kind of results you wish to see, namely News, Blogs, Video, Discussion and Books.
From a bloggers’ perspective, this is a tool f or blog marketing and analysis.
Why Should You Use Google Alerts?
A very relevant question and I will give you eight equally relevant and outside-the-box answers.
1) Check Cont ent Indexing
You can use Google Alerts to check whether your blog posts are getting indexed.
Simply create an alert with your blog name.
Every time a blog post is published and indexed, you will get an alert.
If not, you need to check with Google Webmasters and submit a sitemap.
2) Find Blogs f or Guest Blogging
If Google comes around to devaluing guest blogging links, we are doomed.
If not, Google Alerts is T HE best place to discover blogs in any specif ic niche and pitch guest post ideas.
First, you need to select your targeted keywords.
Whenever anything is posted and indexed around the targeted keywords, Google will send you a notif ication.
I set up a Google alert f or ‘guest posting’ and here’s a sample of notif ications received.

2. Simply visit the source, check out the website, and pitch your idea.
3) Find Blogs f or Comment ing
Every blogger knows the value of commenting.
Similar to the second method, set up alerts and visit the source blog to comment.
It is a hassle-f ree method because you don’t have to spend hours searching f or niche-relevant blogs or
signing up with blog email lists to remain updated.
Just use Google Alerts!
4) Get News Updat es
Bloggers of ten get traf f ic spikes when they write about trending topics.
By using Google Alerts and setting the f requency of notif ications to “as it happens”, remaining updated on
niche developments is much easier.
Here’s an example. Target keyword phrase is ‘Facebook’.

3. 5) Monit or Brand Name
If you’re trying to build an authority and brand-able blog, Google Alerts will be a handy tool to track blog
branding.
You will know if someone links to your blog or mentions it on their posts, and determine the value it adds.
For example, when I searched f or Traf f ic Generation Caf é, this is the result I got:
You can see that the results show incoming backlinks.
T his way, Ana gets to know where her blog is getting exposure and she can monitor traf f ic as well.
6) Track Backlinks
If you are into commenting, guest blogging, article marketing, presentations and video marketing to promote
your blog, Google Alerts will help to track backlinks.
Whenever your blog link appears anywhere on the blogosphere, you get a notif ication f rom Google.
7) Find Cont ent Ideas wit h * and OR Combinat ion
When you track developments happening within your niche, you will come across topics and issues others
are writing about and it could inspire you to present your thoughts on the topic.
You could also use the * and OR attributes to search f or specif ic ideas.

4. For instance, you can add ‘how * blog’ [without quotes] and Google will replace the * mark with suitable
phrases and show you the f inal output.
An example is given below.
Writer’s block is common f or bloggers. Using Google Alerts will give you f resh perspective on niche
developments.
8) Use ~ t o Unravel Horizont ally Relevant Synonyms & Niches
Suppose you have a blog on ‘pain relief ’.
When you set up the Google Alerts adding “~ pain relief ” search query [remove quotes], Google will show
synonyms of the search query.
See the example below.
T his is benef icial if you want to target more keywords.
T hese synonymous phrases could become the secondary keywords to incorporate on the blog.
Won’t Google Alerts Clutter Inbox?
Of course, it will.
You can easily avoid the clutter by setting a Gmail f ilter. Please f ollow the given steps to do so.

5. 1. Log in to Gmail.
2. Create a New Label.
3. Go to Settings > Filters > Create a New Filter
4. On the new page, add the f ollowing:
From: googlealerts-noreply@google.com
To: [your email id]
Leave other f ields blank.
5. Click ‘Create f ilter with this search’.
T he f ilter is set up.
Filters won’t clutter the inbox. T hey are completely unobtrusive.
Whenever you wish to brainstorm ideas or monitor blog progress, go to the label and check the emails.
Google Alerts Alternatives
Some users complain that Google Alerts becomes slow or f ails to deliver results af ter a f ew weeks.
I don’t know the reason f or this, but in case you do experience the same, here is a list of 10 alternatives to

6. Google Alerts.
10 Google Alerts Alternatives from Chitraparna Sinha
Most of these tools are f ree. Some have paid versions as well.
Some are f or Twitter and Facebook alerts.
Marketing Takeaway
I f ind Google Alerts to be a valuable tool, especially f or bloggers.
Bef ore you invest in other blogging and SEO tools, do try out Google Alerts.