Google Keep is a central part of my digital life. I use it for everything — from home organization to jotting quick notes and planning meals. However, at the end of the day, my note-taking system was a chaotic mix of on-the-go captures and ideas.
The problem was, these notes rarely went anywhere. That all changed when I started feeding my notes into NotebookLM.
By using Keep for its simplicity and quick capture, and then bringing my labeled notes into NotebookLM for deeper analysis, I created a note-taking system that’s a true game-changer.
My current workflow with Google Keep
My current note-taking system has a single, non-negotiable hub: Google Keep. It’s on my phone, desktop, and tablet — everywhere.
Whether I’m on a walk and need to jot down a quick thought or at my desk and want to save a web clipping, Google Keep’s quick, simple interface is perfect. It’s my digital brain dump.
However, I have always felt a major gap in this workflow. While I can capture everything, there is no easy way to get meaningful insights from the mountain of notes I have collected.
I can search for a specific keyword, but I can’t ask a broader question like, “What are the common themes across my notes on content marketing and video production?”
I can use Gemini integration with Google Keep to retrieve information from my notes, but it is nowhere near as robust and effective as using NotebookLM to get the job done.
By simply exporting my notes from Keep and dropping them into a NotebookLM notebook, I can finally start getting the answers and insights I have been craving.
Using my Google Keep notes with NotebookLM
This is where my workflow gets really interesting. Google Keep is my capture tool, but it’s not where I do my deep thinking. For that, I turn to Notebook. The process is straightforward.
First, I head to the web version of Google Keep on my computer. I have been using labels from the very beginning, so now I will click a label to filter my notes.
For instance, if I’m learning about self-hosting, I will select that label. This instantly brings up all the notes I have ever taken on the topic, whether it’s a quick thought about a new service or a list of pros and cons I brainstormed.
Next, I copy the text and paste it into an existing NotebookLM notebook dedicated to self-hosting. This notebook isn’t just a home for my Google Keep notes, though.
It’s already loaded with other sources, like a few web links, a PDF from a conference, and YouTube tutorials. The idea is to make my notebook richer using my notes and findings.
I can then use NotebookLM’s AI to ask questions and generate insights that are specific to my combined sources. Let’s check it in action.
Generating insights using NotebookLM
When all my notes are in the “self-hosting” notebook, the real fun begins. I can ask NotebookLM anything about the combined sources. I can start with broad questions like these:
- What are the pros and cons of self-hosting a website?
- Summarize the different server options.
- Draft a list of FAQs for a beginner’s guide to self-hosting.
- Should I use Docker for self-hosting Nextcloud?
But it goes much deeper than that. I can generate a mind map that visually connects all the different concepts in my notebook. It’s a fantastic way to see the big picture and identity connections I hadn’t even considered.
The best part is that NotebookLM provides citations with a single click and shows me exactly where the information came from. This gives me confidence in the insights and allows me to go back to the source, whether it’s a quote from my Google Keep note or a specific timestamp in a YouTube video.
While the audio overview wasn’t useful in my case (self-hosting), you can always use it in other scenarios.
For example, if you are planning a trip to Europe, you can combine all the sources in NotebookLM and generate an audio overview that takes you through the entire itinerary and main places to visit.
My productivity soared
In the end, this simple two-step process has changed my relationship with my own notes. I no longer just collect information. I actively build on it.
By capturing notes effortlessly in Google Keep and then using NotebookLM to turn those raw ideas into structured knowledge, I have created a loop of continuous learning and creation.
If your notes feel like a disorganized mess, I highly recommend you try this workflow. It’s the most effective way I have found to make my ideas work for me. It’s one of the NotebookLM tricks I wish I had known sooner.
