One of the things that most people do during our personal branding workshops is Google themselves (I know it sounds dirty). But seriously, when is the last time you Googled yourself?
- Over 80 million people are Googled every day
- 80% of people have searched for other people online
If you haven’t Googled yourself, do it now…. Do you like what you find?
You might say “Well, there isn’t anything bad.”
You might say “Yikes”
You might say “Where am I? Nothing shows up…”
You might say “That isn’t even me…”
Your goal should be to say “WOW! I sound like a credible and knowledgeable professional that people would be excited to meet”.
In this day and age, people are searching for you, and mediocre doesn’t cut it. You need to work to create an amazing first impression online, because people are searching for you.
If you don’t love what you see, here are 3 tips to manage what shows up in search engines when people look for you:
1. Create a Personal Website or Blog with Your Name in the URL
The first and best way to manage your personal brand is to create a website or a blog. This is your personal space where you can show how knowledgeable and credible you are. It may seem like a difficult task to create a website or blog, but you can quickly get started for free on a site like www.wordpress.com and build up to a more complicated personal website over time. Start by creating a solid branded presence for yourself online.
2. Create Profiles on Social Networks
Social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Slideshare and more typically show up at the top of Google search results. If you have a strong presence and are active on these sites, you will have a higher probability of your social media profiles showing up when people search for you online. Create profiles and share content on social networks and make sure that you use your real name to optimize your chances of showing up in searches.
3. Upload Photos and Videos of Yourself
People often find that the images and videos that are found about them online aren’t exactly flattering. The truth is that people are mostly taking pictures and posting them online when people are out having fun. These photos don’t help build your personal brand. To offset any issues with social photos driving your brand impression, upload professional images and videos that are tagged with your name to create a professional brand impression across mediums.
