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Comparing And Expanding The Use Of Google And Yahoo Alerts
ntroduction the patience with their other
email providers’ speed. Yahoo
Google’s search engine then became clearly competitive
undoubtedly changed the world of and started ramping up their
search and the Internet by storm efforts to improve not only Yahoo
when it first came out. With its Mail but their whole line of
simple design and fast relevant products. They knew that the days
results Google fast became the of complacency were over. Finally
number one search engine in they had a worthy competitor. As
existence and Google soon became for the users, good times was
a household name. Yahoo! and coming because with competition
other search engines were clearly came better services for them.
affected, but with Yahoo’s wide
range of product offerings Yahoo Many of Google and Yahoo’s
was still safe and had their own products offerings, like web and
niche. Google, however, started image search, are almost
offering other products that indistinguishable from the user’s
clearly stepped on Yahoo’s toes point of view. However, there are
and the battle began. One such also products that differ quite
product is Gmail. Gmail shocked significantly, reflecting Google
the other email providers out of and Yahoo’s difference in their
their complacency when they general approach. One such is the
offered 1GB of space for their Alerts. Google and Yahoo Alerts
users and along with it are simply updates on certain
introduced cool new features topics of interest delivered to
(i.e. conversations) previously individual users. Google and
unheard of in the email industry. Yahoo Alerts differ in the kinds
Gmail also operated with of alerts they offer, in the
unprecedented speed and left new look, and the features they
users wondering how they ever had bring. A casual glance at their
alerts page would even make a results.
user think that they do not have
the same function. The Google Alerts page is very
simple and is very easy to
Google Alerts manage. It, however, lacks any
aesthetic appeal whatsoever,
Google Alerts, just like their except maybe for the fact that
web search, is a simple, no fuss, the text is very readable and the
and result oriented product. It color scheme is not garish. The
gives email updates of the alerts page looks really bland.
relevant Google results based on But for those who are after
your choice of query or topic. function and relevancy of results
Google Alerts deliver updates this should be no problem.
only via email and gives the
users the option of telling Google is however out to address
Google how frequently they want the problem of visual design. For
to receive updates. Google Alerts the first time since Google came
offer only three types of alerts out they have asked a visual
based on Google search results design guru to join the company
from the Web, the News, and to give their products a much
blogs. It is somewhat limited needed facelift. Hopefully Google
compared to the alert types that Alerts will be one of the first
Yahoo has to offer. However, to get some makeup on.
since it is query-based the
alerts can be virtually about Yahoo Alerts
anything you are interested in
getting updates of. The key with Yahoo Alerts offers a volley of
Google Alerts is to enter alert types. Some of the alert
keywords or key phrases that will types are: Missing Children,
give you the most relevant Auctions, Breaking News,
Feed/Blog, Health News, actually less versatility as
Horoscope, Mail, Market Summary, compared to the alerts one can
Movie Recommendations, Music, get from Google, which if used
Sports, Stocks, The Apprentice: properly can actually give you a
Donald Trump, Traffic, Weather, more customized and specific
Travel Destinations, Yahoo! 360, alert.
etc. Each alert type has a
different format and has to be An advantage Yahoo Alerts has
activated in different ways. For over Google alerts is their
example to for Blog Alert users varied modes of delivering the
have to enter the URL for a updates. Google sends updates to
website’s RSS feed, choose how users through email only but
often they want to be updated, Yahoo users have the choice of
and then choose the mode of receiving updates through emails,
delivery. For Travel Destinations yahoo messenger, and even their
Alerts users have to choose among mobile phones and other mobile
a list of cities the destination devices. This is of course very
they are interested in. Yahoo useful to users who are not
will then send the users updates online all the time and wish to
on airfare, hotel and car deals be updated whenever and wherever
for that destination as well as they are.
photos, reviews, and news. The
alert types Yahoo offers are very Another big plus for Yahoo is
interesting and varied and will their look. The Yahoo Alerts home
surely be of importance to many looks simple and but is very
people. Due to the many options pleasing to the eye. It’s very
it appears to be more easy to shift from creating new
customizable than Google alerts. alerts to managing your present
However, since the alert types alerts. The format for creating
are all pre-packaged there is each new alert is not very
consistent though (i.e compare have taken it a step further and
create Music Alerts and made the alerts work for them.
Destination Alerts). The People use the alerts not only to
inconsistency is not such a big keep track of their interests but
deal but I would prefer a more to keep track of other things as
consistent look so as to not be well like:
confusing and generally pleasing.
That’s just my preference though. •their competition
But for the eye candy factor, •how widely and how fast their
Yahoo Alerts, unsurprisingly, press releases are being picked
wins over Google Alerts. up by other publications
•emerging trends
Using Yahoo and Google Alerts •websites that are try to sell
hacks or downloads of a certain
The key to making either of the software owned or sold by their
two alerts work for you is your company
innovativeness. Although most •add a news update section to
users probably use Yahoo and their site
Google alerts to simply keep
track of simple updates like the These examples can be found on a
weather, stocks and news, which forum discussion on Google and
by the way are the most popular Yahoo Alerts from Web Pro World.
types of Yahoo Alerts, some users
About the Author:
http://www.theinternetone.net
Read more articles by: Danny Wirken
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