Trying to keep up with who is linking to your site or mentioning your company or name can be quite a challenge....

I can use my own server logs to spot a new referrer, but this isn't 100% accurate, since that only happens if someone actually clicks on the link. There are other ways to keep up with new links or publicity, and a couple of them are free.

I set up a Google Alert and Yahoo Alert (both free), so that if their bots find my name or my site mentioned somewhere, I get an email with a link so I can see what's being said about me or who just linked to me. I suggest you do the same.

This used to be easy, since "Eric Ward" is not a real common name. But now, since every written word in print seems to also be available online, JEEZ........ I have to filter my alerts for all sorts of stuff. Eric Ward the quarterback from Richmond. Eric Ward the quarterback from Georgetown, the soccer player, the baseball player, the artist, bagpipe player, author from the UK, dolly grip, urologist...

Here's what my current google alert has to look like in order to be even close to useful. When you create yours, make sure you disinclude terms that don't apply, using the "-" sign.

"eric ward " -QB -quarterback -richmond -football -spiders -georgetown -hoyas -mustangs -kansas -soccer -baseball -IBSN -UK -united -durham -delaware -dolly -movies -bestboy -grip -electrician -science -mystery -novel -urologist -civil -war -bagpipes -duke -physician -doctor

On the bright side, if there's ever a guy named eric ward who happens to be a bagpipe-playing Civil War-buff urologist from Duke that lives in Tucson, I'll never know it....

tag: http://www.technorati.com/tag/eric+ward