Google Alerts: How to Track Your Brand, Competitors and Industry for Free
Google Alerts sends you an email when new results about a topic show up in Google Search. To create an alert, go to Google Alerts, type a topic in the box at the top, click Show options to choose how often and from which sources you get results, and then click Create Alert. As a result, you can follow mentions of your brand, your competitors and your industry without searching every day.
This guide explains how to set up Alerts step by step and how businesses can use them, based on Google Search Help and the live Alerts page as checked on 9 November 2026.
What is Google Alerts?
Alerts is a free Google tool that watches Google Search for you. When it finds new results that match your topic, it emails them to you. For example, you can get updates about news, products or mentions of your business name.
Why businesses use Google Alerts
Alerts gives you an early view of what people publish about you and your market. Businesses use it to:
- Track brand mentions, so you can thank people, answer questions or fix problems quickly.
- Watch competitors, including new products, offers and press coverage.
- Follow industry news and new rules that affect your business.
- Find content ideas from new questions and trends. You can then compare them in Google Trends.
- Spot partnership and press opportunities.
How to create a Google Alert step by step
Step 1: Open Google Alerts
First, sign in to your Google account and open the Alerts page.
Step 2: Enter your topic
Next, type the topic you want to follow in the box at the top. For example, enter your business name, a competitor’s name or an industry phrase.
Step 3: Choose your options
Then click Show options. On the live page, you can change these settings:
| Option | Choices |
|---|---|
| How often | As it happens, at most once a day, or at most once a week |
| Sources | Automatic, News, Blogs, Web, Video, Books, Discussions or Finance |
| Language | Any language or a specific language |
| Region | Any region or a specific country |
| How many | Only the best results or all results |
| Deliver to | The email address that receives the alert |
Step 4: Create the alert
Finally, click Create Alert. According to Google, you then get emails whenever Google finds matching search results.
How to edit or delete a Google Alert
To edit an alert, open the Alerts page and click Edit next to it. If you do not see any options, click Show options. Make your changes and click Update Alert.
To delete an alert, click Delete next to it. Alternatively, click Unsubscribe at the bottom of any alert email.
Search tips for better Google Alerts
The words you enter decide the quality of your results. So use these search tips:
- Use quotation marks for exact phrases, such as “DeeGeet Creators”.
- Use a minus sign before a word to exclude it, for example to remove results about another company with a similar name.
- Use OR to combine options, such as a brand name OR its website address.
- Start with “Only the best results”, then switch to “All results” if you miss too much.
Google Alerts ideas for your business
Set up these alerts to start:
- Your business name in quotation marks.
- Your own name, if you are the face of the business.
- Your top two or three competitors.
- Your main product or service plus your city or country.
- One industry phrase, such as “user generated content”.
Then review your alerts after two weeks. Remove the ones that send noise and refine the rest.
What to do when you get an alert
An alert is only useful when you act on it. For example:
- A happy customer mentions you. Thank them and share the post.
- A complaint appears. Reply quickly and politely, and solve the problem.
- A competitor launches an offer. Check their ads in the Meta Ad Library and decide how to respond.
- A new trend appears. Write a helpful article or video about it.
Fix problems with Google Alerts
If you stop getting alerts, Google suggests three checks:
- Check which account you are signed in to.
- Check your alert’s settings.
- Check your email settings, including your spam folder.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Alerts free?
Yes. Alerts is free to use with a Google account.
How often will I get Google Alerts?
You choose: as it happens, at most once a day or at most once a week.
Can I get alerts for news only?
Yes. Under Sources, choose News.
Why am I not getting any alerts?
Your topic may be too narrow, or there may be no new results yet. Also check your account, alert settings and spam folder.
Start listening today
Alerts takes two minutes to set up and keeps you informed every day for free. Create alerts for your brand, your competitors and your industry, and then act on what you learn.
For full details, see Google’s guide to creating an alert. To dig deeper into a topic you find, try Gemini Notebook.
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