Google Alerts help you find influential bloggers

Every morning, I spend about an hour finding bloggers who wrote about the topic of press releases—one of the biggest pain points for Publicity Hounds—and I post comments to their blogs. 

It’s a wonderful way to let them—and their readers—know who I am. Here’s how I do it.  

Several months ago, I created a Google Alert for “press release” and “writing press releases.” As a result, Google sends me an email message every day with a list of articles and blog posts that include those keyword phrases. If I find that a blogger is writing about the topic, I’ll click on the link to the blog item, and check out what they’ve written.

If I can add something to the conversation, I’ll usually post a comment at their blog. Sometimes I’ll mention that their readers can sign up for my free email tutorial “89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases.” Or I’ll email the blogger privately and let them know about the course.

At first, I hated spending this kind of time every day. But it’s paying off. Last week, for example, Google alerted me that blogger Terry Whalin had written about press releases. So I added a comment to his blog and let Terry know about my tutorial.

He emailed me and thanked me for the information. Then he wrote a follow-up post telling his readers about my website, and he even included my logo. Here’s an excerpt:

“Yesterday I wrote about press releases as a tool to expand your message and reach new audiences. One of the comments came from Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. Until her comment, I had not visited her website but what a vast resource on this topic (and much of it free).

“In the press release area, Joan has created a free 89 lesson tutorial to teach you how to craft and use news releases. You gain her personal instruction and insight as a 20-year veteran journalist. Late yesterday I signed up to receive this instruction. Why? There is always something new to learn and I am continuing to learn and grow as a writer, editor and now agent.”

Here’s where his comment really pays off for me. Terry’s blog has a Google Page Rank of 5, which means lots of other people link to it. And lots of other bloggers might be linking to Terry’s item about me. And that means more traffic to my website.

You, too, can create a Google Alert so you know who’s writing about you or about your area of expertise or industry. Learn how to create a Google Alert in the short video, made by my friend Terry Brock.

Now, start pitching bloggers. Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff (aka The Blog Squad) joined me several months ago for a teleseminar called “How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion.” We explained how to approach influential bloggers and encourage them to write about you. We also detailed the land mines to avoid. It’s available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order has been approved.