Can we talk about how a simple Google Alert changed my whole content plan?

I was stuck trying to find new topics for our blog about cloud security, so I set up a Google Alert for 'zero trust' plus the names of three big cities (like Atlanta, Dallas, and Seattle) to see local news. In one week, it pulled up 5 stories about local businesses getting hit with fines that I never would have found otherwise. I turned one into a case study that got way more shares than our usual posts. Has anyone else tried using local news alerts to find fresh angles for security content?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.jana2mo ago

Oh that's actually a really smart trick. I mean, most people just set alerts for the big tech terms, but tying it to a place makes it so much more real for readers. It's like you're showing the problem isn't just some far off idea, it's hitting businesses right where they live. I'm totally stealing this for my own stuff.

ryantorres2mo ago

My cousin in Tampa tried that with "ransomware Florida" last year. He got so many alerts about local plumbing companies getting hit that he just closed the laptop and went to the beach. Sometimes the local news hits too close to home.

jennifer_jenkins2mo ago

My friend runs a small IT shop in Boise. He set an alert for "data breach" plus Idaho. Found a story about a local bakery that lost all their customer files. Wrote a simple guide on basic backup steps for small businesses. It got him three new clients that month.