Hi Richard
Good question! You are right, in that sometimes it will be difficult to ascertain whether you are the subject of the search or whether it is someone else who shares your name.
However, you can tell a lot from the particular details of a Search Alert, which typically gives you details such as approximate geographic location, keywords used in the search, and the actual name of businesses and organisations that have Googled you (but not specific people or domestic addresses due the way the IP system operates).
For instance, if you have recently applied for a job with a company and you get a Search Alert a few days later which tells you that that company has Googled you – you can be pretty sure that they are researching the internet for you!
Also, if any organisation (hospital, Government Department etc) searches for you that you have been in contact with around the time of the Search Alert, you can be fairly sure that it is you that they are checking up on.
Also, if you are a small business owner, you might be interested in knowing which other businesses or clients you interact with are carrying out research on you personally – as the Search Alert should give you their business name.
Likewise, if you live in a particular town and you have started dating someone there and you get a Search Alert from that town, you might draw the conclusion they want to know more about you.
These are just some of the circumstances where you can be fairly certain that you are subject of a particular search. On a personal level, I have had the privilege of being Googled by Google last December. I know that I was the particular subject because the Search Alert gave the keywords used in the search which included my name plus this websites name, so I could be sure that they were checking up on me! It didn’t change my life, but I thought it was quite humorous and worth knowing about.
I hope that answers your question. Sorry it has taken a little time to respond – we are very busy with some great new functionality which we will be bringing to the site very shortly.
Best regards