I seem to be getting a few PM's on this, so I think it's time for a sticky.
http://www.googlealert.com/  This is the system I use - it is a paid for system and claims not to be affiliated with Google.  Well I think that is bullshit - if I tried to create a website using Google up front or anywhere else - I'd get a lawyers letter or a decline from the set up agency. The free version is www.google.com/alerts

I had this concept back in 2003/4 and introduced it into webproworld as a marketing technique.  It is now widely copied. Back in 03 the system was primarily aimed at newspaper feeds that google picked up on line.  I'm not technical - so I asked a good mate of mine Alex Dittrich who posted as 'faglork' if he could devise a method of a RSS type feed direct from Google Alerts into my site.  He did it and we had what was probably the first site to ever have a constantly updated page feed daily from Google.

We based it on the anchor text and the correct landing page - so the alerts came in on seperate pages. Sort of like a revolving news desk.  The home pages were left alone and we used internal linking to avoid 'cluttering'.

The alerts do indeed allow you to see what your competitors are up to - simply do a "theirsite" with no www or .com and whereas the info on links is not as acccurate as a google tool search it will provide the basics. Simply link either to or from those sites.

I get into rows occassionally - not here - but as a moderator in webproworld especially when I say 'Link Out to related sites' - I get the 'Oh you'll be leaking internal pagerank - you don't want to do that'.  Bollocks. I have over 1,000 search terms that find me on page one or two of google and all the others and whereas the rest of the UK we have mortgage brokers saying 'There's no business around' we are still getting new business in daily. It's results that count - not technicalities.

Google Alerts are there as a means of getting constant crawls - so I use page titles as search terms.  I add blogs to the search term.  I use Google to find sites or blogs where I can either link too or ask for a link - if they refuse then I 'cheat' and there is nothing blackhat about this little trick.

If I see a dot gov site that I'd love a link back from - and they refuse or do not reply - then I simply place their link into a directory and point the landing page back to my landing page.

Demonstration with made up URL's - Directory submission - in the correct section - topic Green Widgets - my entry

The Government have an excellent site on this - it's here at www. ***** .gov.org - my site is nearly as good - my page is
www. longtailed html landing page. An indirect .gov link. And it is based on the subject matter and is useful to both sites as they too get a related IBL.

My OBL pages are massive - seriously large - almost wiki size and they have never done my site any harm whatsoever.

In order to succeed or even simply survive in business it is essential to know what your competitors are up to - google alerts will tell daily.

Sure - take wiki first - here are their links on Right to Buy

External links
Financial Services Authority
Right to Buy Changes
Dept. for Communities and Local Government (formerly ODPM )- the Right to Buy
House Price Crash
The Conservatives Start Selling Council Houses - Harold Hill

I'm the Right to Buy changes one.

I know guys who own Directories

Catergory Mortgages/Real Estate

Landing page  www.counciltenantsmortgages.co.uk/shared-ownership.html

Directory listing - We at CTAB Mortgage Desk have been working with the UK Government (URL.Gov)
on the subject of shared ownership schemes - please visit landing page.

The .gov site will have anchor text - the directory may or may not send traffic - but simply set up a google alert on the Directory page and let the bots do the linking.

Think of it as an 'indirect IBL' not carrying much weight as a one off - but once you get one you can pick up more. Marketting is not an exact science you simply have to get sites that are 'authority' pointing towards you. It takes time - but doing one of those type ideas say even once a month will eventually create results. I'll scount around my IBL's a see what I can find as a demo - back later.

Thanks Dan - Right Matt - here's a link I found in my IBL's it has no .Govs - but the text relates to .gov sites - To be honest, I was just amazed at how much traffic wiki is throwing at us.  Still, I hope this helps.

http://www.factfrenzy.com/the-changing-uk-mortgage-market/

OK , I have 5 mins, lets do it.

Areas covered by Addingtons:
Rushden, Finedon, Raunds, Ringstead, Thrapston, Wellingborough, Northampton, Overstone, Billing, Cogenhoe, Bedford, Mears, Ashby, Stanwick, Irthlingborough, Irchester, Wollaston, Wooton, Abington, Sixfields, Duston, Moulton, Ecton, Kettering, Corby, Oakleyvale, Poddington, Wymington, Harold, Grange Park, Turvey, Lavendon, Hinwick, Grendon, Braefield on the Green, Kingsthorpe, Weston Favell, Pattishal, Old Hanning, Walgrave, Hunsbury, Higham Ferrers, Brixworth, Mawsley, Islip, Isham, Geddington, Sharnbrook, Earlsbarton, Barton Seagrave

Taken from the Addingtons websites.  Set up a google alert based on 'Landscape Gardeners' in as many of those towns that it will let you do for free.  As the results come in, post back here and we will go to the next step.

I have started to get some emails last couple of days, 45 so far, i'm still struggling to see the benift though, sorry.

Ok, i think i am still missing the point here, sorry. Perhaps an example? the majority of the emails i got are from my site addingtons, so im guessing they are useless? I got a few from other sources like this one: https://www.help.co.uk/umbrella_resource_body.html?page=302

Sorry David, im just not seeing what it is i am supposed to do with the result emails im seeing. Below is one of the results i got, what exactly is it you would do with it?

https://www.help.co.uk/umbrella_resource_body.html?page=302


I now have well over 100 emails!