Manage Your Reputation With Google Alerts

If you want to find out what people are saying about your business, Google can help. Google allows users to set up Alerts that let them know when Google finds something that matches a query that the user wants.

This help you keep track of what people say on Twitter, forums, blogs, and any place else on the Internet about your business. If it is something negative, you now know where to go to try to correct the problem.

I recommend that every business set up a Google Alert for at least their business name. If they offer a distinct product, they should set up an alert for that, too. Here's how to do it:

1. Go to Google Alerts
2. Set the search terms to your business name (if your business name has multiple words, wrap it in quotes)
3. Set the alert type to Everything
4. Depending on how popular you are, have alerts sent to you either As It Happens or Once a Day
5. Set the email length to Up to 50 Results
6. Set the delivery to your preferred location

This is a service that you definitely want a Google Account for. You won't be able to manage or modify your alerts without one.