Google Alerts™ is a great way to make sure you never miss a win notification. The service works by notifying you if Google™ comes across your name on the internet. So, once you sign up for the free Google Alerts™ service, if an organization announces you as a winner on their website, you will receive an alert. Learn how to use Google Alerts™ in seven simple steps:
Step 1: Visit the Google Alerts™ website
Type www.google.com/alerts into your web browser.
Step 2: Type a search term in the "Create an Alert About..." field
Add your name in quotes, like this: "Jeff John," to ensure that you only get results that contain your actual name. This is a good idea if you have a common name.
Step 3: Click on "Show Options"
Once you've typed in your key search word, click "Show options" to narrow down the results.
Step 4: Select the type of reports to receive
You can select whether or not you want to be notified when your search word appears on various types of websites. For example, you might only get a report if your name is on websites, in the news section, in Google Groups™, or in blogs. It’s recommended to select the "comprehensive" option, which will deliver your findings to you regardless of where they are available online.
Step 5: Specify how often you want to receive notifications.
You have the option of receiving updates when the search engine locates sources, once a day, or once a week. You may want to use the regular or weekly alternative if you get a lot of notifications. You can also limit the alerts to a certain geographic area. For instance, if you only join sweepstakes in the United States, you might want to receive alerts from websites in the United States. It’s recommended to start with the "all results" option rather than just the "best results" option to guarantee that even small websites that mention you will appear.
Step 6: Select an email address
Any time Google™ detects your search word, it will send an email to the address you specify. Don't worry, Google™ won't use this email address for ads or anything else, so make sure you use the one you check regularly.
Step 7: Press submit
After pressing submit, you'll be brought to a list of all the notifications you've previously created.
Create more alerts
To create more alerts, go to the bottom right-hand side of the alert listing page and click the ‘New Alert’ button. Besides your first and last name, you can set up reminders for your first and last initial, your sweepstakes email address, your street address, and any usernames you use to join sweepstakes often.
Google Alerts is a trademark of Google LLC. Use of it here does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by Google LLC.
