Google Alert is the web's leading solution for monitoring your reputation, competitors, customers, and markets online. The award-winning service automatically monitors your business interests, allowing you to stay ahead easily and effortlessly. Here are some things you may want to use Google Alert to track, as well as some tips on how to get the best results. Search Ideas You and your organization -- In today's business world, it is essential that you know what the web is saying about you, your company and your vital business interests. To track your name, simply type in your name surrounded by quotes into the first search term box, e.g. "John Smith". Google Alert will automatically notify you when it finds a new mention of your name on the web. Projects and market sectors -- You can use Google Alert to keep track of projects you are involved in, or areas of specialty that are relevant to your business interests. Simply type in the name of the project or sector and Google Alert will notify you when it finds a new mention of it on the web. Competitors and partners -- Google Alert provides the highest levels of online competitive intelligence to meet your most demanding needs. It is also useful for keeping track of developments relating to your key partners. Simply type in the name of a competitor or partner to be notified any time they are mentioned on the web. For Best Results Be specific -- Try to be as specific as possible when entering your search terms. The more key words you provide, the more relevant results Google Alert can return. For example, if you are interested in jazz concerts in London, typing jazz concert London will give you much more relevant results than just concert. "Put phrases in quotes" -- It often helps to put double quotes around phrases and names like "John Smith" to make sure Google Alert only returns exactly what you are looking for. Personalized search results -- Google Alert's revolutionary SightPoint technology automatically learns which search results are most relevant for you. Your new search results are rated based on the results you have clicked on in the past. SightPoint personalization is an opt-in feature that is available in your 'Search Settings'. Advanced Search Features Google Alert also allows you to use Google's advanced searching features. Click "More Options..." on the Search Settings page then the "Advanced" button next to your search term. It's easy to specify more details of your search, such as Boolean search terms, file formats, parts of the page, and more. Find all sites that link to a page -- By selecting "Link Search" under "Special Searches" on the advanced search page, Google Alert can find pages that link to a website you are interested in. Many people use this feature to keep track of which people are linking to their own site. This feature can also be combined with HTML feeds on the Feed Settings page to show a list of new links on your site.