In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, knowing what people are saying about your business online is vital for protecting your reputation. Google Alerts is a powerful, free tool that acts like your own personal internet detective, scanning the web 24/7 and emailing you whenever your brand, your name, or your competitors are mentioned.
Whether it’s a glowing review on a local Brisbane blog or a mention of your ABN in a government gazette, staying informed allows you to respond quickly and stay ahead of the curve. Let’s get you set up.
What You’ll Need
- A Google Account (your standard Gmail or Google Workspace email is perfect).
- A list of keywords you want to track (your business name, your own name, and perhaps a couple of key competitors).
- About 10 minutes of quiet time.
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Step 1: Access the Google Alerts Dashboard
First things first, head over to google.com.au/alerts. What you should see: A clean, simple page with a search bar at the top that says "Create an alert about..." and a section below called "My alerts" (which will be empty if this is your first time). Pro tip from experience: If you have multiple Google accounts (like a personal one and a business one), double-check which one you’re logged into via the profile icon in the top right. You probably want these alerts going to your work inbox so you don't miss them while you're in 'boss mode'.Step 2: Enter Your Primary Brand Name
Type your business name into the search box. For example, if I were setting this up for us, I’d type "Local Marketing Group". The "Exact Match" Trick: This is where most people get stuck. If your business name is a common phrase, Google will send you alerts for every time those words appear. To fix this, put your brand name in quotation marks, like this:"Local Marketing Group". This tells Google to only notify you when those specific words appear in that exact order.
Step 3: Preview Your Results
As you type, Google will show an "Alert preview" at the bottom of the page. Don't worry if this screen looks a bit empty. If you’re a new or highly niche Brisbane business, there might not be any recent news. That’s okay! This just means you’re starting with a clean slate. If you see results that have nothing to do with you (maybe there's a company with the same name in London), you’ll need to refine your keywords. Quick tip: To filter out international noise, you can addsite:.au to your search or simply add your location, e.g., "Local Marketing Group" Brisbane.
Step 4: Customise Your Alert Options
Before you hit that blue "Create Alert" button, click "Show options" next to the search bar. This is the most important step to ensure your inbox doesn't get hammered with junk.Here’s how I recommend setting these for a busy Australian business owner:
- How often: Change this to "At most once a day" or "At most once a week". "As-it-happens" can get very distracting very quickly.
- Sources: Leave this as "Automatic". This covers news, blogs, web, video, and books.
- Language: English.
- Region: Australia (This is crucial for local businesses to avoid getting alerts for similar names in the US or UK).
- How many: Select "Only the best results" initially. If you find you're missing things, you can change this to "All results" later.
- Deliver to: Choose your preferred email address.
Step 5: Create Alerts for Competitors
Now that your own brand is sorted, let’s get a bit cheeky. Repeat the process for your top two or three competitors.Knowing when a competitor is mentioned in a local news story or wins a Queensland business award gives you valuable intel. You might see a journalist writing about your industry—that’s a person you should probably reach out to for your next PR push!
Step 6: Track Your Own Name
As a business owner, your personal reputation is often tied to your brand. Set up an alert for your full name (again, use quotation marks:"John Citizen").
Contextual note: If you have a very common name (looking at you, Chris Smith), you might need to add your industry or city to the alert, like "Chris Smith" marketing or "Chris Smith" Brisbane.
Step 7: Set Up "Negative" Keywords
Sometimes you'll get alerts that are technically correct but totally irrelevant. Let’s say your business is called "Apex Plumbing" but you keep getting alerts for "Apex Legends" (the video game).You can use the minus sign (-) to exclude words. In the search bar, you would type: "Apex Plumbing" -Legends -Game. This tells Google: "Show me mentions of my business, but ignore anything that mentions the game."
Step 8: Organise Your Inbox
Once the alerts start rolling in, they can clutter your inbox. Pro tip: Set up a folder or "Label" in Gmail called "Google Alerts". You can create a filter so these emails skip your main inbox and go straight to that folder. Once a week, grab a coffee, sit down, and scroll through them all at once. It’s a much more efficient way to stay informed without the constant "ping" of notifications.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being too broad: Searching for
Marketinginstead of"Local Marketing Group"will result in thousands of useless emails. Always be specific. - Ignoring the alerts: There’s no point setting these up if you don't read them. These alerts are often your first warning sign of a negative review or a customer service issue brewing on a forum.
- Forgetting your ABN or Phone Number: Sometimes people mention your phone number or ABN without mentioning your business name. It’s worth setting up alerts for these unique identifiers too.
Troubleshooting
- "I'm not getting any alerts!" - This is actually common. If no one has mentioned your keywords online recently, Google won't send an email. Try searching for a very famous brand like
"Apple"just to test that your settings are working. - "The results are all from the US." - Go back into your alert settings (click the pencil icon next to the alert) and ensure the "Region" is strictly set to "Australia".
- "I'm getting too many emails." - Change your frequency to "At most once a week" or switch from "All results" to "Only the best results".
Next Steps
Setting up Google Alerts is a fantastic first step in "Active Listening". Once you've mastered this, you might want to look into:- Google Business Profile: Ensure you're also getting notifications for your Google Maps reviews.
- Social Media Monitoring: Google Alerts isn't great at picking up mentions inside private Facebook Groups or Instagram. You may need a specific social listening tool for that.
- Backlink Tracking: See who is linking to your website to help your SEO.
If this all feels a bit overwhelming or you'd rather spend your time running your business than tweaking search queries, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we handle the digital heavy lifting for Brisbane businesses every day.
Feel free to reach out to us at https://lmgroup.au/contact if you'd like a hand with your digital strategy.