Google’s news alert is a free service that monitors search terms and delivers notifications when new content with those search results appears online. It can be used to track mentions of your clients, products and services, or other keywords related to your business. It can be especially useful for keeping up with your competition.
The first step in setting up a news alert is to create or sign into your Google account. Once logged in, click “Create Alert” to get started. Enter your search terms and select the type of content you’re interested in monitoring (news articles, blogs, web or comprehensive). You can also filter by language and region for more targeted results. Finally, you can choose the delivery time—whether you want to be notified the moment an alert is published or if you prefer to receive it once daily or once a week.
It’s important to use only credible, established sources for breaking news alerts. Avoid social media-based news apps or websites unless they are highly trusted, and always check multiple sources to ensure your story is accurate. For example, if you’re monitoring an event that’s likely to attract local politicians and other community leaders, be sure your news alerts are sourced from reliable sources that have been fact-checked by journalists.
If you’re promoting an afterschool event that may be of interest to reporters, consider sending a news or media alert (also called a media advisory). This is a one-page announcement that explains the who, what, when, where and why of an upcoming event, encouraging reporters to attend and cover it.