Do you remember the frantic scramble several years ago when Google announced new restrictions on Google Alerts usage? I still get cold sweat when I think about it – I used this tool to notify the mentioned brand or track industry once an hour at lunch and right before going to bed. But no worries, friends. The marketing environment is teeming with brilliant, stylish, and multi-functional alternatives that are beyond Google Alerts ‘lively dreams. It’s an excellent tool that allows you to send a steady stream of relevant content, already filtered to your company or business inboxes. Nevertheless, lots of people don’t like using it, as it seems inconvenient and outdated. If Google Alerts does not satisfy your organization’s needs, you have another alternative.
Key Points
- Numerous alternatives to Google Alerts give additional features and functions that go beyond what Google Alerts does. These options may be useful for content monitoring and brand tracking needs.
- Many of the Google Alerts alternatives mentioned in the article provide advanced social media monitoring features. They enable customers to monitor brand mentions, sentiment analysis, and competitor mentions on several social media platforms.
- While some Google Alerts alternatives provide free plans or trials, others provide price options that may be more appropriate for larger businesses or agencies. Small businesses should evaluate their budget and choose a suitable alternative.
- Several alternatives, such as Talkwalker Alerts, Brandwatch, and Meltwater, have extensive analytics and reporting features. These tools offer broad coverage of online content, multilingual capabilities, and AI-powered insights for data-driven decision-making.
- When comparing Google Alerts alternatives, consider factors such as the limit of alerts allowed, learning curves for beginners, pricing plans, and interface usability. Each alternative has pros and cons, so choose the one that best meets your needs and goals.
What is Google Alerts?
Google alerts allow users to make a custom search on particular words or phrases, and upon finding new results, Google will send a notification about the search term. Anyone with a Google account can create a Google alert for any topic or phrase. Google Alerts may benefit users with the topic of business stock values, product announcements, press releases or mentions.
A Google alert can be requested to provide search results on your chosen topic based on any frequency. The search results can be sent to you daily, weekly, or even hourly. Google Alerts can also send out notifications, allowing Google to update you on a specific event as it happens.
This tool is also useful for monitoring social media, reviewing social media marketing, keeping an eye on the competitors, and tracking your marketing ROI. While Google Alerts is a useful tool, other content monitoring options may be better suited to your needs.
Google Alerts Alternative
Here is a list of alternative tools that act similarly to Google Alerts.
The list includes social listening alternatives for businesses of various sizes and budgets. Most alternatives to Google Alerts solutions provide a free trial; some are even completely free, as I’m sure you’d be happy to find out. Most of them went much beyond what Google Alerts aimed to achieve.
Even examining the tools, and taking benefit of free trials and low-cost plans, will leave you satisfied and curious about what 2024-level tech can do. So, let’s start the list of 11 Google Alerts alternatives, and share their pros and cons. Yes, we know it’s tacky, but we love it.
#1. Talkwalker Alerts
This free champion boasts an impressive ability to monitor social media alongside web sources, keeping you in the loop on brand sentiment across various platforms. However, the free plan limits the number of alerts and searches, so it might not be ideal for extensive monitoring.
Pros:
- Comprehensive coverage of online content.
- Multilingual capabilities for global monitoring.
Cons:
- It has a limited number of alerts in the free plan.
- Some users report occasional delays in receiving alerts.
#2. Mention
Mention offers a free plan with a decent amount of alerts and social media monitoring. It excels at sentiment analysis, helping you gauge brand perception. However, the free tier comes with limited features, and advanced functionalities require a paid subscription.
Pricing: Solo is $29/mo, Pro is $99/mo, and ProPlus is $190/mo. The price of the Enterprise plan is available on request. A yearly plan saves you two months. Besides, you can set up one alert for free.
Free trial: Mention provides a free 14-day trial.
Pros:
- It performs real-time monitoring across various platforms.
- Advanced sentiment analysis for effective brand reputation management.
- Robust social media tracking.
Cons:
- Pricing plans may be steep for small businesses.
- The interface could be more intuitive for first-time users.
#3. Awario
Similar to Mention, Awario provides a free plan with limitations. It stands out for its user-friendly interface and Boolean search capabilities for precise monitoring. However, the free plan restricts the number of monitored sources.
Pricing: $39/mo for the Starter plan, $119/mo for Pro, and $399/mo for Enterprise. You can save up to 40% with a yearly plan.
Free trial: Sign up for a free 7-day trial.
Pros:
- It has extensive social media listening capabilities.
- In-depth sentiment analysis and trend identification.
- Competitive intelligence through tracking competitors’ mentions.
Cons:
- The learning curve for beginners can be steep.
- Pricing plans might be challenging for budget-conscious marketers.
#4. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is another great alternative to Google Alerts tool for big businesses and agencies. This Google Alerts alternative platform includes five built-in tools: Consumer Research, BuzzSumo, Audiences, Reviews, and Vizia.
BuzzSumo, bought by Brandwatch in 2017, is in charge of social listening. The tool crawls social media, news, blogs, forums, review sites, comment sections, and websites. If you’re interested in a certain source, you can request that it be added to the list; Brandwatch will respond quickly.
Pricing: available on request.
Free trial: no.
Pros:
- It has robust social media and web listening capabilities.
- It has powerful analytics and reporting features.
- AI-powered insights for data-driven decision-making.
Cons:
- Pricing plans are better suited for enterprise-level businesses.
- The learning curve can be steep for beginners.
#5. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a good option for social media listening, but it also has capabilities that can search the web for news and mentions of your brand. Better yet, Sprout Social is simple to integrate with your current social media platforms. It gives actionable business intelligence to help shape the conversation within your firm.
Sprout offers three packages: Standard ($89), Professional ($149), and Advanced ($249), each with different features and functionality. It also offers free trials.
#6. Social Searcher
This tool could be referred to as Google Alerts 2.0. It not only notifies you when your keyword, brand name, or hashtag is mentioned on the web, but it also offers marketing analytics. Social Searcher analyzes key social media platforms to discover brand mentions, personalities, and trends that individuals are talking about online.
Pricing: Basic is €3.49/mo, Standard is €8.49/mo, and Professional is €19.49/mo.
Free trial: A free 14-day is available.
Pros:
- Real-time social media monitoring across multiple platforms.
- Advanced search filters for precise tracking.
- Easy-to-use interface.
Cons:
- The free plan has limitations in terms of daily search queries.
- The sentiment analysis feature could be more accurate.
#7. Meltwater
Meltwater is a powerhouse monitoring tool for businesses. The company uses a sophisticated AI-powered interface to produce more insightful results that provide a higher level of thorough analysis while reducing background noise from unnecessary data.
You can quickly review your data using the web interface or the mobile app, which includes Smart Alerts to keep you updated on developing stories.
Meltwater’s interface is broad and visually appealing. Pricing varies due to the great level of customization. The company delivers prices based on your company’s requirements for functionality and customization.
#8. Brand24
Brand24 is a social listening platform with email and in-app notification features. It monitors popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as blogs, news sites, and forums.
Using the tool as an alternative to Google Alerts, you will be notified of any important changes in online discussions about your brand. You can personalize your alerts and select events for which you will be notified by email.
Pricing: Plus is $59/mo, Premium is $119/mo, Business is $179/mo, and Max is $299/mo.
Free trial: You can sign up for a free 14-day trial.
Pros:
- Real-time monitoring across social media, blogs, and news.
- Interactive and user-friendly interface.
- Influencer identification and engagement.
Cons:
- Limited number of mentions in lower-tier plans.
- Some users report occasional glitches in the analytics dashboard.
#9. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform, and unlike others, it is rarely seen as an alternative to Google Alerts. However, its social listening capabilities are good enough for it to be included in this list.
Hootsuite is especially valuable for marketers looking to post, collaborate, and monitor all from one platform. It’s also a wonderful option for businesses on a tight budget who can’t afford a dedicated tool for each social marketing demand.
Pricing: Professional is $19/month, Team is $99/month, and Enterprise is available upon request. Aside from that, they provide a basic free plan limited by a few users, social accounts, and scheduled messages.
Free trial: You can sign up for a free 30-day trial.
#10. Buzzsumo
While known for its content discovery capabilities, Buzzsumo also offers social media monitoring features. Its strength lies in identifying trending topics and influencers, but in-depth brand mention tracking might be limited.
Pros:
- Discover trending content and influencers.
- Competitor analysis and content performance tracking.
- Content ideation and curation.
Cons:
- The pricing structure may be prohibitive for small businesses.
- The free version has limited functionality.
#11. Feedly
While not strictly an alert tool, Feedly shines as a news aggregator, allowing you to curate your favorite marketing blogs and publications in one place. The downside? It requires manual setup and might overwhelm you with information overload if not managed effectively.
Choosing Your Ideal Google Alerts Alternative:
The best Google Alert alternative depends on your specific needs and budget. Consider the following factors:
- Monitoring Scope: Do you need to track web mentions, social media buzz, or both?
- Features: Are you looking for basic alerts or advanced analytics like sentiment analysis?
- Budget: Can you afford a premium solution, or do you require a free or freemium option?
Once you’ve identified your priorities, explore the options above and leverage free trials to find the perfect fit. Remember, the right tool can be a game-changer, empowering you to stay ahead of industry trends, identify brand advocates, and extinguish potential crises before they erupt.
Is there anything better than Google Alerts?
Absolutely! While Google Alerts was a solid starting point, there are many advanced tools available that cater to the specific needs of marketers. Here’s why you might consider going beyond Google Alerts:
- Google Alerts offers basic monitoring and lacks functionalities like sentiment analysis, competitor tracking, or advanced search options.
- Alerts might not be entirely relevant, sending you notifications on every minor mention of your keyword, even if it’s not related to your brand.
- Google Alerts primarily focuses on web sources and might miss crucial conversations happening on social media platforms.
Do people still use Google Alerts?
Yes, people still use Google Alerts. Despite the emergence of various alternatives, Google Alerts remains a popular choice for many individuals and businesses. It offers a simple and straightforward way to monitor specific keywords or topics of interest across the web.
What is the difference between Brand24 and Google Alerts?
Brand24 and Google Alerts are worlds apart when it comes to social listening and brand monitoring. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:
- Google Alerts offers a bare-bones experience. You can set up alerts for keywords, but that’s about it. Brand24, on the other hand, is a feature-rich platform.
- Google Alerts can be quite inaccurate, sending you alerts on irrelevant mentions that don’t pertain to your brand. Brand24 uses advanced algorithms to ensure you receive relevant notifications, saving you time and frustration.
- Google Alerts primarily focuses on web sources, which can be a major drawback. Brand24 monitors social media platforms, news websites, forums, blogs, and more, giving you a holistic view of online conversations.
- Google Alerts is free, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Brand24 is a paid service, but it offers a significantly richer feature set that can be invaluable for businesses of all sizes.
The choice depends on your needs. If you just need basic monitoring for a personal project, Google Alerts might suffice. But for serious brand monitoring and social listening, Brand24 is the clear winner.
Can you set up Google Alerts without a Google account?
No, to set up Google Alerts, you need a Google account. There seems to be some mixed information about using Google Alerts without a Google account. While some sources say you can’t, there’s a clarification to consider:
You technically cannot set up Google Alerts without a Google Account. This account gives you access to various Google services, including Gmail.
However, you might be able to use a non-Gmail email address to receive your Google Alerts notifications. When setting up an alert, you’ll be prompted to enter the email address where you want to receive updates.
Is Google Alerts free to use?
Yes, Google Alerts is free to use. It is a service provided by Google at no cost to its users. You can create and manage multiple alerts without any subscription fees or charges. Simply visit the Google Alerts website, sign in with your Google account, and start setting up alerts for the keywords or topics you want to track. However, it’s important to note that while Google Alerts itself is free, charges may apply for any data usage or internet service fees associated with accessing and receiving the alert notifications.
Conclusion
Google Alerts alternatives offer marketers a chance to navigate more effectively. From monitoring to sentiment analysis, each alternative brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages. By exploring these options above, you can elevate your marketing game, gaining precious insights and staying one step ahead of the competition. So, are you ready to change your approach to staying informed and take your marketing efforts to new heights?
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