| As business owners we often are so buried by the | | | | automagically arrive in your inbox. (I think it will go to |
| never ending avalanche of advice and to-dos that we | | | | your Gmail account but you can set these emails to |
| fail to see the really valuable, useful information that is | | | | forward to your regular email client if you prefer.) |
| right under our noses. Sometimes we even pay for | | | | There are so many ways you can use Google Alerts |
| the same useful information when it's in fact FREE and | | | | to stay on top of your web space. For example, you |
| available elsewhere. We just didn't know how or | | | | can monitor what comes up when someone Googles |
| where to look. An obvious example of this would be | | | | a competitor's name or pet search term; you can |
| Google, specifically, it's suite of tools designed to help | | | | monitor searches on your name or business name; |
| regular old biz folks market their website. | | | | you can even get as granular as "monitoring a |
| While Google may be the giant that casts a long | | | | developing news story" (per the Google Alerts page). |
| shadow over everything we do online, it's actually | | | | This is a low-tech, high-impact way to keep one finger |
| pretty friendly to "small." | | | | on the pulse of what's happening in your sphere of |
| Google's corporate motto is "Don't be evil." Let's look | | | | influence. It will also help you be more proactive in |
| at how to leverage the Internet giant and its free tools | | | | widening your sphere of influence because you gain |
| forgood then, shall we? | | | | continuous access to "as-it-happens" news, events |
| Before you can access all the goodies, remember that | | | | and conversations. (And yes, there is actually an |
| you need to get a Google account. Once you have | | | | "as-it-happens" setting in Google Alerts should you be |
| your Google account, there are 3 web tools that you | | | | capable of watching your inbox minute by minute.) |
| should be using no matter what kind of website you | | | | 3) Google Places: If you want a better chance of |
| have. You should be able to access, figure out, and | | | | being found locally, list your business in Google Places. |
| start using these inside of an afternoon (seriously): | | | | You'll need to verify your listing via phone (or post card |
| 1) Google Analytics: You have a website because you | | | | if you, um, don't have a phone). This is a good thing |
| want people to see it and do something while they're | | | | because it ensures the local listings displayed by |
| there, yes? In other words, you're seeking some kind | | | | Google are created by real people and not spam bots. |
| of "conversion" or action from your web traffic. In turn, | | | | Once you list your biz in Google Places, your site (or |
| you want to know where your web traffic is coming | | | | just the name of your business if you don't have a |
| from and what they're doing when they reach your | | | | site) will show up in the Local business results for |
| site. Maybe they're clicking here and there, maybe | | | | specific search terms. So write your description |
| they're leaving as soon as they arrive, maybe they | | | | carefully when creating your listing and keep it simple. |
| sign up for your newsletter before they bolt. Fact, is, | | | | Often the associated Google map will supplement the |
| there is no way to understand traffic patterns-and the | | | | search result. |
| almighty conversion-without a decent analytics | | | | Note that sometimes a locally defined search does not |
| program in place. | | | | return this type of local result, supplemented by a map. |
| Getting started with Google Analytics is a matter of | | | | Sometimes you have to click the Maps option (left |
| copying and pasting a unique tracking code into each | | | | hand column of the Google search window) to get this |
| page of your website. If you avoid the "back end" of | | | | kind of result. Either way though, if you're not showing |
| your site like the plague, any decent web developer | | | | up in these searches, you could be missing out on |
| should know how to do this for you and for relatively | | | | valuable local traffic to your site. |
| little expense. Within a day or two you can log in to | | | | Google Places now also shows how many |
| your Google Analytics dashboard and get an inkling of | | | | impressions your local listing is getting which could be |
| what your web traffic is doing (or not doing). There is | | | | indicative of local market potential for your offerings. |
| much more that you can do with Google Analytics, but | | | | Good information to have! |
| just get it set up in the first place. It amazes me how | | | | Google has myriad more tools and gadgets for the |
| many websites have no analytics in place; all that | | | | online business owner, but these are 3 that I use and |
| precious historical data lose forever. What a shame! | | | | recommend to clients. They're not complicated or |
| 2) Google Alerts: The voyeurs in the crowd will like this | | | | "techie" or confusing. And they require very little |
| one even more. Google Alerts allow you to monitor | | | | know-how beyond what I've outlined here. So, now |
| what is coming up on a Google search for a specific | | | | that you KNOW, you can DO better with your |
| topic of interest. You just tell Google what keywords | | | | marketing. No more excuses... at least for today. |
| or topics you want to monitor and the alerts | | | | |