New Google Alert widget saves us from repeatedly Googling ourselves

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Google just saved users who can’t stop Googling themselves a whole lot of time.

Now, if you Google your name while logged into your Google account, a “Stay in the loop” widget will appear at the bottom of the first page of search results. (For it to display, you must have allowed Google to save your web and app activity in your user account settings.)

The new feature lets users sign up to receive a Google Alert when their name is mentioned online.

Clicking on the “Stay in the loop” link will return a Google Alerts setup form with your name in quotation marks and options to control the frequency and level of alerts.

The “Stay in the loop” feature was announced in June, along with other updates to Google’s “My Account” tools on the Official Google Blog, but it didn’t launch until recently. A Search Engine Land editor noticed it last week in his search results, and Venture Beat reported yesterday that it was now live.

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About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.