Google Alerts is a powerful tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor the web for specific keywords or phrases and receive email notifications whenever new content containing those keywords or phrases is published. This can be incredibly useful for staying up to date on industry news, monitoring your brand's online presence, or tracking mentions of your competitors.

While Google Alerts provides email notifications by default, it can be more efficient to save the results to Google Sheets, especially if you want to analyze the data or share it with others. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to set up a Google Alert and automatically save the results to Google Sheets.

Create a Google Alert

Before we can start saving Google Alerts to Google Sheets, we need to create an alert. Here's how:

  1. Open your web browser and go to https://www.google.com/alerts.
  2. In the search box, enter the keywords or phrases you want to monitor. You can use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase or exclude certain words by adding a minus sign (-) before the word you want to exclude.
  3. Click on the "Show options" link below the search box to customize your alert. Here, you can choose the sources, language, region, frequency, and other settings for your alert.
  4. Preview the results by clicking on "Preview" or skip this step if you prefer.
  5. Enter your email address in the "Deliver to" field. This is where you will receive your Google Alerts notifications.
  6. Click on the "Create Alert" button to save your alert.

Create a Google Sheets Spreadsheet

Now that you have set up your alert, let's create a Google Sheets spreadsheet to save the results:

  1. Open Google Sheets by going to https://sheets.google.com.
  2. Click on the "+" button at the top left corner to create a new spreadsheet.
  3. Give your spreadsheet a name and customize the settings if desired.

Connect Google Sheets to Google Alerts

In order to automatically save your Google Alerts results to Google Sheets, you will need to use a third-party tool called Zapier. Zapier allows you to connect various apps and automate workflows.

  1. Go to https://zapier.com and create an account or login if you already have one.
  2. In your Zapier dashboard, click on "Make a Zap".
  3. Choose Google Alerts as the trigger app.
  4. Select the trigger event - "New Alert".
  5. Connect your Google account and authorize Zapier to access your Google Alerts.
  6. Set up the trigger by specifying the keywords, sources, and other settings for your alert.
  7. Continue to the next step.
  8. Choose Google Sheets as the action app.
  9. Select the action event - "Create Spreadsheet Row".
  10. Connect your Google Sheets account and authorize Zapier to access your spreadsheets.
  11. Map the fields from your Google Alert to the corresponding columns in your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
  12. Continue to the next step and test your Zap. Make sure the data from your Google Alerts is successfully saved to your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
  13. Once you are satisfied, turn on your Zap and it will automatically save future Google Alerts to your Google Sheets spreadsheet.

It's worth mentioning that Zapier offers a free plan with limited features and a paid plan for more advanced automation. Make sure to check their pricing and select the plan that best fits your needs.

By following the steps outlined in this article, you now know how to create a Google Alert and save it to Google Sheets. This can be a valuable tool for staying informed and analyzing data related to your chosen keywords or phrases. Whether you are a business professional, a content creator, or an avid researcher, Google Alerts and Google Sheets integration can greatly enhance your productivity and knowledge.