Setting Up Google Alerts: Tips and Tricks for Effective Web Monitoring

Google Alerts remain a hidden gem, with many unaware of its powerful capabilities.

Not only is it designed to monitor the web for all sorts of new mentions in regard to search terms, but it also brings added benefits. This includes customization to your search preferences and also the chance to delete it whenever you want.

Alerts are sent to the user on an immediate basis or they can be scheduled to be done on specific days or times of the week.

All in all, what you get are the latest updates on what’s trending in an industry, region, or even around the globe. How cool is that, not to mention how it can elevate the search experience in a manner like never before.

In case you’re wondering what benefits this brings when you already can search the regular way, well, we’re here to discuss that with you.

This feature gives rise to a proactive search of the web for certain terms that you desire. You can think of it like a keyword. Now select how often you’d like to see content linked to that term. Now whenever there is anything relevant to that particular term, across a blog or new video featured, for instance, you would be notified. This way, you’re highly unlikely to miss out on all of your favorite things, thanks to Google's powerful feature.


The tech giant first rolled this out in the year 2003 after the idea was brought forward to the company’s heads by one of its engineers. As far as which initial keywords were used for testing of the alerts, well, it was Google and Larry Page.

While it's been around for over 20 years, its importance has never diminished. In the past, it got negative reviews from users who complained about how it was just too restricted, not accurate, or simply irrelevant. Plenty of monitoring firms are cropping it up as a whole and providing their own respective alternatives on this front.

One of the biggest advantages here is linked to the fact that it doesn’t cost a penny. So many brands might need more intricate software to have things monitored, this effort by Google works great for everyday users.

Now the question is whether or not it’s user-friendly and if yes, how to set this up the right way.

Simple Steps For Google Alert Setup

It’s actually quite simple, contrary to many people’s thinking today. You need to make sure you’re logged into the account on Google and then you can navigate towards the Alerts page on the Google website.

After that, search any keyword you wish to follow across the bar that says ‘create alert’. There is no limit to what or who you’d like to get alerts for so be creative if you like. Once that is done, press on the blue box that states, ‘Create alert’. And that is it!


You managed to give rise to the first Google Alert and now you can go about accessing that and editing as you wish. Simply visit the Alerts homepage and click on your desired keyword that you want to track or directly go to the inbox of your email account to get the detailed report.



While it does not have its own respective app, every member would get alerts through iPhone devices or their respective smartphones online.

Just go to the page for alerts across the device’s browser and be sure to follow the list of steps.

Oh and just for the fun of it, click on creating alerts against your name too, who knows, you might get famous through this means with your name alerts.

While there is yet to be a means through which you can find out about who is looking for you on the Google search engine, you can go back to carry out a search in your name through Google Trends and that proves if people do have search interest in anything, even you!

Customization is key!

But wait, once the setting up of alerts process is completed, there is more to be done on your part. Through default means, allow Google to roll out updates regarding the alerts each day, at least once. However, you can alter the frequency to your liking as per your choice. There’s a whole technique for customization available and we think that’s great.

Simply go to the page for alerts and search for the specific want that you wish to alter with your customization. Press on the pencil (edit) icon that’s present on the alert’s right side. This would open settings.

Once that’s done, press on a new page and see how often you get alerts and which language you require. At the same time, the region for sourcing and where you’d like to attain the alerts can even be selected through customization. After that, press the Update Alert button in blue.


If you’d like all the alerts delivered to you at a particular time, press on the gear icon that’s located on the right-hand side for My Alerts and click on the time of delivery. You can then go about limiting the alerts to the frequency of your choice.

You may also request Google to send alert updates across a certain email instead of sending them separately.

How to delete your Google Alerts

The last step is for those who would like to delete an alert. Imagine you’re bored of something or no longer wish to know what’s trending in that respective domain. If that’s the case, simply click on the Google Alerts page and locate the recycle bin icon that’s located right next to the alert you wish to remove.


After you select that, the alert will disappear instantly. Meanwhile, the taskbar on the heading of the page would pop up and would read, ‘your alert on XYZ’ was removed or deleted. It would give you the chance to undo that if you want and if not, you can dismiss it. If the latter is selected, you delete it permanently. The same would be the case if you closed the Alerts page.

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