People talk. They talk about the good, the bad and the ugly and in today’s online world, they are talking online. Are they talking about you? How do you know?

Google Alerts are a great way to monitor your name, your brand, and your reputation. You enter in your name, your company name, or any other keywords you want to receive updates for and Google will let you know when it comes across any of those phrases on the web.

Some ideas on how to use Google Alerts:

• Your name- see where you are appearing online and if your clients are talking about you.
• Your company name – see what people are saying about your company.
• Your slogan- have a great slogan? Is it copyrighted? Find out quickly if anyone else thought it was great and is now using it.
• Listing marketing – set up a google alert for your listing address. Use the alert to let your sellers know of the marketing your are providing for their property.
• Research & Education – I have a google alert set up for ‘real estate’ + ‘social media’ so I can stay on top of new developments as they happen. You may want to set up an alert for your niche, say “South Bend” + foreclosure.
• Keep an eye on your competition. Keep you Google Alert wide enough to capture your competition in its results. If your website is optimized for Notre Dame Real Estate, set up a Google Alert to find any other references to Notre Dame Real Estate. This can help you learn of new competition and to stay ahead of them.

Need help setting up an alert? Just ask.