The disquieting news is nowadays, more and more personal and even sensitive information surfaces on the internet. Your name might be mentioned in a social network or your name could appear in blog posts or articles – not always in a positive manner.
Google search is indeed the first place people look for information that’s published about you. There are a few ways you can effectively manage your online reputation and help control what people see when they search for you on Google.
Evaluate your online reputation. Google your name or your company’s name and see what results it throws up. Do this at frequent intervals as newer mentions of your name could keep emerging all the time. Set up Google Alerts so that you are alerted every time your name appears afresh on the internet.
You can use Google’s advanced search operators to narrow down the hunt. You should also search on other major search engines likeBing.com, Yahoo.com, and search.aol.com. Examine the first few pages of the search engine findings, and then try different combinations, including the name of your company, your brand and the city of your location.
Learn how to customize privacy settings so that you don’t have to worry about prospective clients stumbling across the wrong information.
Once you’ve identified negative remarks associated with your identity online, you’ll need to take steps to remove or suppress it. However, this can be trickier than it sounds, especially if the content has been posted by another person, archived on a website, or stored in an account you can no longer access.
If you have a common name, it can be difficult for you to set yourself apart from others who share your name. It is encouraged that you purchase a custom domain that contains your first and last name. These URLs can help guide searchers directly to your web presence.
You can remove search listings. Google has a list of steps you can take if you wish to remove information from search listings. The ideal method is to remove the content directly at its source, which might require that you contact the site’s webmaster.
You might stumble across undesirable material on an old website profile. However you won’t be able to delete it if you can’t remember the username and password. First, attempt to reset your password. Next, contact a website administrator to see if they can remove the content for you.