Best approach to set a google alert?

Open the Google Alerts page while signed into your Google account, type the term, then click "Show options" before you hit Create. That's where the useful settings are hiding: how often, sources, language, region, and "only the best results" vs all results. Put brand names in quotes so you get the exact phrase, and use a minus sign to cut noise, e.g. "acme" -acme-tools. If your inbox gets flooded, switch delivery to RSS feed instead of email.