Google Alerts ping you every time new occurrences of the keywords you track are found by Google’s search robots. This is great for reputation management (tapping into what’s being said about you, your brand or your competitors online) but it’s also a handy tool for keyword research.
For example, I’m subscribed to Google Alerts for the Vancouver 2010 mascots Quatchi, Sumi, Miga and Muk Muk. We’re buying these terms in Google Adwords and using the broad match type so it’s important to do exhaustive negative keyword research. Even though these are fairly specific terms, and we’d like to think all searches including these keywords are looking for merchandise — truth is there are a lot of other reasons someone might include “sumi” or “miga” in a search engine.
Over time I’ve discovered negative matches that my keyword research tools missed:
- Andrew Miga (journalist)
- Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd
- White Snow Sumi Brushes
- Sumi Ink Painting
- MUK: Muk (EP)
- MIGA-World Bank
- Western Sumi Student’s Union
- Sumi Salad
Negative matches: -andrew -motherson -systems -white -snow -brush -ink -painting -world bank -western -students -union -salad
The tough one is Muk, the self-titled album by the artist MUK. Negative matching “muk” to “muk” won’t work unless I phrase match the keyword “Muk muk” or -ep -album.
It only takes a couple minutes a week to stay on top of this small list. Certainly you wouldn’t want to be alerted every time someone mentions “iPhone” or “skinny jeans” – but for unique terms this works well.
Subscribe to All Posts
Subscribe to All Posts
Return to top of page
Awesome post. What are your thoughts about growing a business based on a sort of “negative” reputation, like the Rich Jerk or someone? A lot of people don’t like the guy, which he’s perfectly proud about of course. Maybe that’s a separate issue since he is performing some possibly unethical marketing tactics, but still legal nonetheless.
BTW I love your blog!
@Celik, yeah sometimes that can work – depends on the industry, he he. There’s a cafe here in Vancouver called the Elbow Room that’s famous for insulting customers.
I use these all the time. They come in very handy for many different reasons especially reputation management.
You have to pick up the nearest same search volume but less competitive key phrases in promoting your site.
I use google alerts for reputation management. I didn’t think of using it for an adwords campaign. As always, thanks for the great information.
Small ecommerce retailers also can use Google Alerts for link building.
Wow this easy way for doing your work, so Google alert is the solution. Nice to get this information, so we just go to Google.com/alerts and set up an alert, and waiting Google to send alerts as often as we already choose with the links to where our phrase appeared. that easy method, how long until Google send back our alert? Thanks guys.