As a writer, you want to set up Google Alerts for your name and your book titles. Google will let you know when your name or title shows up on a webpage. You can track any reviews or other mentions of you and/or your work.

Today I received another benefit from having a Google Alert set up on my name. I have a website and a blog that were the first sites I set up. I use the blog to test out things, before I try them on this “real” blog.

The other blog showed up on my daily Google Alert. I haven’t made any changes for awhile. The alert specified the main page, not the blog. It showed an advertisement for shoes. I’m all for shoes, but not on my website. This is the second time that account has been hacked. Right now, I’m having trouble making any changes myself to the site. Support has bumped up the problem to a higher level. I may just close the account, although I have several reasons to keep it open. I’ll go into those reasons in another post.

Stop surfing the net and go set up your Google Alerts now!

Go to http://google.com/alerts

Enter the topic

Search terms — this is your name or title

Type — comprehensive
You can search only news, blogs, web, video, or groups. I recommend using comprehensive.

How often — once a day
You can choose once a day, as-it-happens, or once a week.

Your email — this is where they send the alerts notices

Here’s hoping all your alerts are good ones.

Write on,

Lynn Jordan