top of page
Writer's pictureFatih Tahta

The Best Google Alerts Alternatives in 2024


Keeping track of what folks are saying about your brand online is huge these days. Whether it’s someone hyping your product, complaining about you (or a competitor), or chatting about a problem you can solve, knowing about it can help your biz grow.


Social listening tools handle that for you. They keep an eye out for keywords like your brand name or other stuff you care about and let you know when they spot something.



Google Alerts is one of the OGs : simple, free, and emails you when your terms pop up online. But, yeah, it’s not perfect. It’s kinda slow and only covers what Google indexes, so you might miss stuff.


Now, there’s Mentio, an AI agent for B2B companies. It focuses on biz-friendly platforms like LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Reddit, etc., and it tries to filter out the junk so you get the important stuff faster.


What is Mentio?


Mentio is an AI-powered social listening tool designed to monitor platforms crucial for B2B software companies. It sifts through platforms like Reddit, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Hacker News and Quora for relevant conversations


Mentio finds posts in your niche, scores them with AI to filter out the noise on their relevance to your business and crafts and posts a context-sensitive reply that addresses the conversation while mentioning your product in a natural way. Fully automated process saves you 4+ hours back every week and you can just check the results.


What is Google Alerts?


Google Alerts monitors a variety of sources, including news websites, web pages, blogs, public forums, video titles, and books. However, it lacks the capability to effectively monitor social media platforms, which are increasingly vital for comprehensive online brand monitoring.


Google Alerts operates solely via email alerts, allowing users to specify the frequency, language, and geographical regions for monitoring mentions. However, there is often a delay in the alerts because it takes time for Google to index new posts.



Onboarding



Mentio - takes 5 minutes


To set-up Mentio you need to follow the steps bellow:



  • Click the dashboard button on the top right of the page and Sign up with Google, Meta or an email address.


  • Choose the best plan that suits your needs with pricing built for businesses of all sizes. Always know what you’ll pay.


  • - Create a project in your dashboard and customize your AI Agent’s details/tone at Create A Project page


  • - Your project will be created after the Spam/malicious content check filter and see your project’s details and extracted keywords in your My Project page


  • You can check your results at your Mentions page


    Whole process just takes 5 minutes and saves you up to 5 hours of manual labor each week.



Google Alerts


  • Sign in with your Google account.

  • Type in your keywords, for example, “Social Listening.”

  • Select your criteria to be notified.


    Overall, the process is simple. However, it doesn’t consider your company or make the process efficient for you. Setting up multiple keywords is also time-consuming as you must input each one individually.


Data Sources


Mentio


Mentio covers a diverse range of platforms, including social media, community forums, and industry-specific platforms crucial for B2B software companies. With more platforms on the way. In contrast, Mention primarily focuses on web pages, news sites, and blogs, with limited social media monitoring capabilities.


The platforms that are monitored:


  • LinkedIn

  • X/Twitter

  • Reddit

  • Quora

  • Hacker News

  • Instagram/TikTok (coming w the next update)


Mentio is consistently adding more data sources and users can easily contact customer service with their requests to be added into the short term roadmap.


Google Alerts


Google Alerts is built as a general tool and is not aimed at solving issues for a specific industry. This means the platforms it monitors are less focused on B2B SaaS and are more about broader categories like news, blogs, and Google search results. The limited monitoring capabilities are a significant disadvantage for B2B software companies, missing out on vital conversations happening on platforms like X/Twitter.


Monitored sources by Google Alerts include:


• News and blogs

• Google search results

• Video

• Books


AI Features


Mentio


From seamless onboarding to monitoring and reply creations, Mentio makes the most of AI. It screens each post to ensure its relevance in the context of your company to filter out noise and detect relevant conversations and crafts relevant AI-replies


Google Alerts


Google Alerts produces more noise with less signal. Once a keyword mention is found, there is no ranking mechanism or efficient filtering. This is due to the lack of AI implementation, requiring users to do more manual work.


Target Audience & Use Cases


Mentio


Mentio focuses on serving B2B software companies. It is designed to search for mentions on the most relevant platforms like X/Twitter and LinkedIn, where B2B software customers are. It finds and tags the posts most relevant to B2B software teams, ranking posts based on buying intent.


  • Early-Stage Startups


    • Need: Effective, budget-friendly marketing solutions to enhance visibility and customer engagement without significant advertising expenditures.

    • Benefit: Mentio helps these startups increase their outreach efficiency by automating and personalizing social media interactions, which is crucial during the growth phase.


    AI Startups


    • Need: Platforms that understand and can seamlessly integrate with their tech-forward approaches.

    • Benefit: Being an AI-powered tool itself, Mentio resonates with these startups, offering them a service that aligns with their values and technical expectations.


      B2B SaaS Startups


    • Need: Strategies to reach specific business audiences and decision-makers in a crowded market.

    • Benefit: Mentio facilitates targeted outreach, helping B2B SaaS companies cut through the noise and directly engage with potential clients on social media platforms.


      E-commerce Startups:


    • Need: Tools to drive traffic to their platforms, enhance product visibility, and improve conversion rates.

    • Benefit: Mentio can strategically place product mentions in relevant online conversations, steering potential customers towards e-commerce sites.


      Marketing Agencies:


    • Need: Innovative tools to manage multiple client accounts more effectively and creatively.

    • Benefit: Mentio can serve as a force multiplier, enabling agencies to deliver personalized engagement across client accounts with minimal manual effort.


      Solo Entrepreneurs and Freelancers:


    • Need: Simple, effective marketing tools that don’t require a team to operate.

    • Benefit: Mentio's user-friendly interface and AI-driven responses make it ideal for solo operators looking to boost their digital presence.


Google Alerts


Google Alerts is broad and less focused. Its user base includes:


• Businesses: Track mentions, monitor competitors, stay updated on trends.

• Marketers: Discover content ideas, measure campaigns, identify potential customers.

• Individuals: Follow hobbies, sports teams, or celebrities.


Pricing


Mentio


Mentio keeps it simple, starting at just $12 a month. It’s perfect for startups wanting an affordable option to get started and can scale effortlessly for larger businesses, offering up to 1,000 replies per month.


Google Alerts


Google Alerts is free, but its limitations results in missed opportunities. Using it alongside a paid tool like Mentio can maximize the value.


User Interface


Mentio


Mentio features an intuitive interface with AI features for streamlined monitoring and customizable notifications (email or Slack) based on frequency and content relevance.


Google Alerts


Google Alerts relies on manual input, making it less efficient. It offers only email notifications with basic customization options.


Customer Support


Mentio


Mentio’s team is passionate about solving problems for B2B companies, offering direct human support for feedback, requests, and assistance.


Google Alerts


Google Alerts lacks direct human support, relying on automated processes. Users must seek help through online resources.




Conclusion: The Alternative to Google Alerts


In short, while Google Alerts has been reliable, it falls short for B2B software needs. Mentio steps up with AI-powered insights, easy setup, and real support, turning online mentions into real growth opportunities effortlessly.

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.
bottom of page