Google offers two distinct features for searches that I use often. One is more widely known and probably easier to set up, which is Google alerts.
I use the Google alerts feature often and recommend checking it out. You can customize as many alerts as you can think of (well, I haven’t hit a limit yet anyway and I have dozens) and schedule an email with your alert notifications. I have all mine sent to my email once a week but you can instruct Google to send them as they happen as well. You can also drill down on some searches with Boolean (google’s version of it, anyway) searches. I’ve found useful searches mostly by trial and error.
Here’s a screenshot of some of my alerts I’ve set up:
The other Google feature for customized searches has a lot of potential but I haven’t played with it enough to enjoy all that it has to offer.
1. go to:
www.cse.Google.com 2. Sign in to your account
3. Create and save your customized searches!
This option is good for doing narrowed down searches more easily. I have saved searches specific to UE scouting, my photography, self searches, or whatever you can think of.
Lastly, I suggest reading up on how to do advanced Google searches, because at the end of the day, that’s all these two features are really doing. They have useful UI’s and features added to an advanced search so you don’t have to do it all yourself.
You can search for map files, specific sites, only government sites, etc, etc. the only limit is your imagination if you do it right.