2. Set up a method for monitoring
One of the first steps in tapping into the conversations taking place on product and service review sites is determining a method for monitoring such conversations. In general, the internet can be viewed as a great divide -- one between content that search engines like Google index and content that engines are not allowed to index. Marty Weintraub, president of internet ad agency aimClear, notes that it's the forums that go unindexed that pose particular challenges -- as well as opportunities -- for marketers monitoring the buzz surrounding their companies.
"Locked off behind non-searchable walls stand entire sites, small and huge communities, pockets of user engagement and other content," he says. "These 'walled gardens' are more difficult because they most often require a human to log in and search. From corners of Facebook to small forums, [you should] monitor sites not indexed by Google based on what folks are interested in and chattering about."
On the flipside, when it comes to indexed content, finding reviews and conversations surrounding your brand has never been easier, notes Miguel Salcido, vice president of operations for internet marketing agency eVisibility. For example, free services like Google Alerts will notify you via email when a word or phrase you specify, such as your brand name, hits its index. Likewise, Twitter Search enables you to track mentions of your brand on the "live web."
"There are other paid services that scour the web, detect negative or positive intent, and map things out in nice graphs," Salcido says. "But Google Alerts and Twitter Search will serve most people just fine, and since Google carries the large majority of traffic on the web and Twitter is so popular, they are great places to look."
