What is the difference between premium content aggregators and Google Alerts?

Library and information professionals know that end users make endless use of Google. This is not inherently a bad thing and information departments continue to ensure that everyone can harness Google's power in a safe, critical, thoughtful and meaningful way. After all, we all know a quick Google search can get any research off the ground quickly!

Google is not just about finding everything but you can also use it to stay on top of what is happening around the world. Google Alerts, for instance, can be an efficient and cost-effective way of discovering what is happening to a company, or an individual or even finding out what is happening within an entire industry. 

However, what if you need more - or less? What if you wanted to cut out the noise? What if you could step beyond the limitations of Google Alerts and tap into a wealth of curated, high-quality, and relevant information? Enter premium content aggregators like Vable, designed to take your curated newsletters and automated alerts to the next level.

Google alerts are only part of the story

Google Alerts, while a popular choice for many end users, often fall short for legal professionals in need of reliable and relevant updates. Its limited filtering options can lead to a deluge of irrelevant content, inaccessible premium database results, and some very dubious sources. Furthermore, it only allows one search per alert, there is a lack of collaboration-friendly distribution options, and the absence of tracking or reporting features can leave administrators in need of something more sophisticated.

Contrast all this with Vable - a premium platform that ensures you will never miss out again. Automating much of your current awareness workflow and bringing together a vast selection of free and premium sources - publishers, clients, competitors, and professional and government bodies - means you have total control over a constantly growing information resource.

Vable empowers information professionals to ensure the right updates reach the right people with minimal effort. Collaboration becomes effortless, enhancing information sharing within the organisation - with full visibility and shared team responsibility. It even allows for access restrictions on selected sources in compliance with external vendor licensing agreements. 

Team Vable is proud of our platform's functionality. Its curated approach to newsletters reduces the noise that often overwhelms Google Alerts recipients. Advanced customisation capabilities provides your team with options unique to your organisation. We understand that you need to provide evidence of value which is why, unlike Google Alerts, Vable offers tracking and reporting, yielding valuable insight into engagement with alerts and articles.

Putting together a case for a content aggregation platform

If you are putting together a case for a premium content aggregation platform, here are some key points to consider regarding Google Alerts:

• Too much noise - Google offers extremely limited filtering options which often results in too much content, non-relevant articles, results from premium databases which you do not have access to, and/or information from unreliable sources.
  
  
• Lack of customisation - Each alert produces results from a single search with no way to combine searches for streamlined notifications.
  
  
• Lack of collaboration - Google only offers two options for distribution - RSS feeds or a single recipient via email, meaning additional effort must be made to ensure the right people receive the right updates.
  
  
• No tracking or reporting - With Google Alerts you have no way of monitoring what alerts and articles have engagement.

So, is there an alternative to Google Alerts? Team Vable says "absolutely"! Premium news monitoring platforms are not just alternatives, but are the superior choice. They provide high-quality and relevant content, while enhancing collaboration and ensuring compliance. To learn more about the benefits of current awareness and how to create newsletters using a content aggregator, click here and here.

While Google Alerts may offer a basic level of news monitoring, premium content aggregators like Vable raise your automation game, providing a suite of features designed to streamline the process, maximise resource control, and enhance collaboration. The result? A superior approach to staying informed, offering a significant competitive edge in the fast-paced world of the legal industry. Isn't it time you made the switch?