Online marketing consists of many elements, from social media to email. But the spearhead of all your marketing is Google.

When you market through Google, you can reach an audience larger than virtually anywhere else.

Of course, marketing in Google isn't always a cinch, and it can be a big help to have access to tools that make your Google marketing easier. Thankfully, Google offers plenty of those tools itself, with Google Alerts being among the most useful.

Google Alerts can cut down significantly on the time you have to spend researching and planning. But what are Google Alerts, and how can you use them to drive superior marketing results?