How to: Create Google Alerts to “Follow” Interesting Topics

“Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic. Enter the topic you wish to monitor, then click preview to see the type of results you’ll receive. 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”   (Google)

To create your Google Alerts, follow these steps:

1. Visit http://www.google.com/alerts

You will see a page that looks like this:

2. Enter the term you would like to receive alerts about. Ex: Small Business News

3. Choose the type of alert you would like to receive. For example, you may select news,  blogs, discussion, etc.

4. Decide the volume of messages you would like to receive. How frequently would you like an email notification?

5. Lastly, select the email address where you would like to receive alerts.

These settings can be edited any time by simply visiting the Google alerts page above and managing preferences.

image credit: warrentedarrest