I keep getting asked,
“How did you find my website?”
“How did you hear about that conference?”
“ Where did you learn that?”
I stop and think. More often than not it’s…..
Google Alerts.
Google Alerts has become my new inside pipeline.
If you use this handy tool for finding information on the web, then you already know how helpful Google Alerts can be. If not, it only takes a minute or two to try it out.
In a nutshell, Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, blogs) based on your choice of key words.
You can do a quick trial and see for yourself how it works:
Go to Google Alerts .
In the SEARCH box, type in key words for topics you want to monitor.
You can specify what type of search is done, how often you receive the email alerts, and the quality of the results.
There are a variety of ways you can use Google Alerts:
For Work
I put in search terms such as “physician burnout”, “non-clinical careers”, “physician retreats” and “career transition.” This helps me to find current articles, websites, individuals and programs related to these subjects. If you are considering a new career direction, you can put in key words pertaining to the area. For example; “integrative medicine”, or “medical writing.” As you see the results, you can refine your search.
For Personal Interests
You can follow a favorite sports team, celebrity, breaking news story or other topic of interest.
For Travel
Are planning on traveling this summer? You can create a Google Alert on the destination and receive current news, sightseeing ideas and potential travel deals.
I have about 20 active Google Alerts (you can have up to 1,000) I like the convenience of information coming right to my email inbox. I don’t necessarily look at all of the Alerts, but its easy to do a quick scan and see what’s of value.
Once you start with the basic key word searches, there are ways to refine your search using simple symbols such as +, and – For examples, click here.
If you find something really helpful through Google Alerts, I’d love to hear about it.
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