Google Alerts - The Benefits and Downfalls

[Katie]

I'm more or less looking for the insight of this wonderful forum again.

In another thread, Nick mentioned the use of Google Alerts, which I use personally. It enables you to pinpoint specific keywords and phrases that are being used around the web. This is helpful for locating what others are saying about your dealership / brand and additionally what people are saying about car buying in general.

Do any of you folks use Google Alerts? What's your primary use entail? Just checking on the competition? Checking on your own brand?

Just a quick tip that I wanted to provide as well - If you're focusing a lot on your blogging, Google Alerts is a great way to locate other blogs that are mentioning your desired topics - this way you can scout them out and comment on those blogs, building a bigger network for yourself.

 

[NickCybela]

Thanks for the mention, Katie!

One note is that while Google Alerts is highly effective, there are several things that still need to be done.

1) Continue generating the "buzz" that Google Alerts can monitor, whether through good business or multichannel marketing integration

2) Continue checking review aggregates like Google Maps to ensure reviews aren't slipping through the cracks. Review sites don't always allow Google to crawl them through ordinary spiders!

 

[Alex Snyder]

Been using Google Alerts for years. I'm primarily interested in using it for SEO-guarding on our store names and Executives' names which also somewhat makes it a Reputation Management tool.

"SEO-guarding" - this is a term I just made up. But it is basically the job of making sure nothing that can compete with you is showing up under a search query on your name.

 

[Nathan Carr]

Alex,
When you use Google alerts how do you watch the store names? as in do you alert for "Checkered Flag" "Checkered Flag Auto Group" or / and "http://www.checkeredflag.com/" ? I've been monitoring all of them for our auto group but I was curious what techniques others have implemented.

Thanks!

Been using Google Alerts for years. I'm primarily interested in using it for SEO-guarding on our store names and Executives' names which also somewhat makes it a Reputation Management tool.

"SEO-guarding" - this is a term I just made up. But it is basically the job of making sure nothing that can compete with you is showing up under a search query on your name.

 

[Alex Snyder]

Alex,
When you use Google alerts how do you watch the store names? as in do you alert for "Checkered Flag" "Checkered Flag Auto Group" or / and "http://www.checkeredflag.com/" ? I've been monitoring all of them for our auto group but I was curious what techniques others have implemented.

Thanks!

It is typically: "Checkered Flag MINI", "Checkered Flag Toyota", and just "Checkered Flag" that are on my main-stay Google Alerts list. When working on a new SEO campaign, I'll add the search query I'm trying to rank on to see how quickly things are moving, but I delete those after a little while.

Competitor names are good ones to throw in your alerts queue as well

 

[Jason Walter]

Great tool...we also use our competitors names.

 

[Katie]

Great tool...we also use our competitors names.

Effectively gotten any business from the competition, yet?

 

[Katie]

1) Continue generating the "buzz" that Google Alerts can monitor, whether through good business or multichannel marketing integration

Nick, ABSOLUTELY. (Caps lock needed!) Results don't create themselves, and that's for sure.