How to take control of your reputation? What Happens if Your Name is Searched on Google?	Visited: 771 Not rated Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Chris Pracy March 04, 2010

There are any number of reasons why someone may want to search for your name on Google, including;

• Potential clients looking for more information

• Potential employers trying to find out about you

• Recruitment agencies making checks

• Media outlets searching for background information on you

With such vast volumes of information available on the internet, it’s little wonder that it’s the first port of call for the majority of people when they want to find out more about an individual.

While your organisation as a whole may monitor its online reputation, many companies neglect the reputations of their most senior and well known staff when it comes to search engine results.

Managing your online reputation is just as important if you are self-employed as potential clients and suppliers may Google your name after meeting you at a networking event or receiving an email or letter from you.

It may only take one negative entry in Google’s search engine results to damage your reputation as an individual and have a negative impact on your business.

How to take control of your reputation

The best way to stay in control of what people are finding out about you online is to be proactive.

Unless you have the time and skill set to do all of the following yourself, it’s best to use an agency to monitor and manage your online profile;

·     Write interesting, relevant and optimised press releases

·     Create and update social media profiles on sites such as Twitter

·     Establish business profiles on a range of key websites

·     Write optimised blog entries

·     Designing a personal website to help develop your own ‘brand’

If you’re not writing about yourself and keeping your online reputation intact, then the chances are someone else will be writing about you and it may not always be positive.

By releasing optimised news stories, blog entries and press releases you will ensure that people find what you want them to find when they search for your name online, rather than something that potentially damages your reputation.

Research by various bodies has shown that typically over 75% of people will use Google at some stage to research an individual in a business context, so effective online reputation management is critical to you and your company.