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How Handmade Sellers Can Set Up Google Alerts for 2024: Monitor Your Brand, Keywords, and Competitors

Stay Ahead of the Game by Tracking Your Brand and Key Terms in Google

As a handmade seller, staying informed about how your brand is being mentioned online, what your competitors are doing, and the latest trends in your niche can give you a real edge. One of the simplest, most effective tools to stay on top of these things is Google Alerts. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through setting up Google Alerts for 2024, give you tips and tricks for maximizing its potential, and explain how it can benefit your handmade business.

What is Google Alerts?

Google Alerts is a free tool that notifies you whenever Google finds new results related to your selected keywords. These could include mentions of your brand name, industry trends, or even your competitors. Instead of manually searching for these updates, Google Alerts sends them straight to your inbox, saving you time and keeping you informed.

For handmade sellers, this is particularly useful because you can monitor what’s being said about your business, keep tabs on competitors, and discover potential new customers or markets. I went back and looked and I set up my frist Goolge Alert in 2003! It;'s how I fimmedialty figured out one of my brands, Orglamix was featured in BuzzFeed. This little hack still works even though it goes way back!

How to Set Up Google Alerts for Your Handmade Business in 2024

Setting up Google Alerts is simple, and here’s a step-by-step guide:

  1. Go to Google Alerts Head to Google Alerts and sign in with your Google account.

  2. Enter Your Search Query In the search bar, type the keywords you want to track. For example:

    • Your brand name (e.g., "YourHandmadeBrand").

    • Industry-related terms (e.g., "handmade jewelry trends").

    • Competitor names (e.g., "CompetitorBrandName").

    • Specific product categories you sell (e.g., "organic skincare handmade").

  3. Set the Alert Preferences After entering your keywords, you can customize your alert settings:

    • Frequency: Choose how often you want to receive alerts—daily, weekly, or as-it-happens.

    • Sources: Select whether you want to be alerted for news, blogs, web, videos, books, or discussions.

    • Region: If you’re focused on a specific geographic area, you can choose to receive alerts from only that region.

    • Language: Choose the language that matches your business market.

    • How Many: You can choose from only the best or all results.

    • Where to Deliver: Add the email you want to receive your notification.

  4. Preview Your Alert Google will show a preview of recent search results for your keyword. If you’re happy with it, click Create Alert. If you want to adjust the query, try different variations until you find the right match.

Tips and Tricks for Using Google Alerts Effectively

  1. Monitor Your Brand Name The most obvious use is to set up alerts for your brand name. This lets you know when someone mentions your brand online, whether it’s in a blog post, a product review, or a news article. It helps you stay on top of your online reputation and respond to mentions quickly.

  2. Track Competitors Curious about what your competitors are doing? Set up alerts with their brand names to track their media coverage, product launches, or promotions. You can gain insights into what’s working for them and adjust your strategy accordingly.

  3. Follow Industry Trends Stay informed about trends in your niche by setting up alerts with key industry terms like “handmade soap trends” or “eco-friendly packaging for handmade products.” This helps you stay ahead of trends and gives you content ideas for blogs or social media posts.

  4. Use Quotation Marks for Exact Matches If you want Google to track an exact phrase, put the keywords in quotation marks. For example, if your brand is called "Lavender Bliss," using "Lavender Bliss" in quotes will give you results specific to that exact phrase, excluding unrelated results.

  5. Exclude Unwanted Results You can exclude certain words from your alert by using the minus sign (-) before a term. For instance, if you want to track “handmade candles” but want to exclude mentions of mass-produced candles, type:handmade candles -factory.

  6. Use Alerts for Link Building Opportunities Google Alerts can help you discover when someone mentions your brand without linking to your website. Reach out and ask them to include a link, which can help boost your SEO. Similarly, if someone mentions handmade products and you have a relevant offering, you can reach out and suggest a link to your site.

How to Check if Your Site is Properly Indexed

Once you’ve set up your alerts, you should also check if your own website is properly indexed by Google. This ensures that your handmade shop appears in search results when potential customers look for products like yours. Here’s an easy way to check:

  1. Google Search Command Type site:yourdomain.com into Google. If your site is indexed, you’ll see a list of pages from your website that are in Google’s index.

  2. Google Search Console For a more in-depth look, sign up for Google Search Console. This free tool lets you see how many of your pages are indexed and provides reports on any errors that might be preventing proper indexing. If your site isn’t indexed, you can request Google to crawl it again.

My Real-World Experience with Google Alerts

I’ve been using Google Alerts for my handmade business, and it’s been a lifesaver. Whenever someone mentions my brand in a blog or review, I’m immediately notified, so I can reach out, thank them, or address any feedback. It also helps me stay on top of the latest trends in the handmade community, which gives me inspiration for new products or marketing ideas.

For example, one of my most successful campaigns came after I set up alerts for "handmade eco-friendly gifts." I noticed a popular blogger was covering sustainable brands, and I reached out to get featured in her next article. The result? A surge in traffic and a new audience that loved my products.

Conclusion: Stay Informed, Stay Competitive

Google Alerts is one of the simplest and most effective tools you can use as a handmade seller to monitor your brand, track competitors, and stay informed about industry trends. By setting up alerts, you ensure that you’re always in the loop without having to spend hours searching for updates. And the best part? It’s free and incredibly easy to use.

So, what are you waiting for? Set up your Google Alerts today and start staying ahead of the game!

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