In case you aren't familiar with Google Alerts, let me get you up to speed. With Google Alerts, you can set up your account (free, of course) to send an email alert on specific subjects you've selected. Google Alerts can comb through web sites, blogs, etc for information on, say, Longhorn footballm for example.

I find it handy for that, but I also use it as a way to keep track of me on the Internet. I get an alert everytime one of my stories gets posted. Google Alerts is a great way to gather clips on your company on the cheap. It's also a great way to get notified every time one of your key competitors gets mentioned or a way to keep current on a certain topic.

This week Google announced on its company blog that it is adding video alerts.

I can think of a couple of ways right off the bat how this can help businesses.

- Set up an alert for professional training or tutorials in your particular field.

- Set up an alert for demos or reviews of products you need for your business.

Here's why you should add video to your site, in light of Google Alerts adding video.

Let's say you're from a consulting firm that specializes in project management. If you were to post a short training video once in awhile, think about the people out there who may have set up a video alert for project management. Voila! They found you, when otherwise they may not have.

Think about posting a video version of your podcast. Think about what keywords would lead to you. Think about what keywords would lead to a new audience.