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Feb 3, 2009 11:15 pm US/Central
Good Question: Should You Google Yourself?
(WCCO)
It sounds like dirty talk, but Googling yourself isn't just for people with giant egos. More and more people are doing it, so they can keep track of what's being said online. So, why should you Google yourself?
"I'm surprised more people just haven't done it naturally," said David Krejci, senior vice-president of Interactive + Social Media at Weber Shandwick, a Bloomington integrated marketing firm.
His firm just released a study called "Risky Business: Reputations Online," analyzing the impact of online reputations on corporations. Researchers found nearly seven out of 10 global executives fear for their corporate reputations as online risks grow.
Despite that, according to Krejci, fewer than four in 10 executives reported searching their own names online.
"It's really hard to address your reputation completely blindly if you've done nothing proactively to create your brand," said Krejci.
He suggested that lesson is equally applicable to average individuals, who should know what's being said about them online.
"I think it's important seeing yourself the way others see you," he explained, something that many find critical during the job search.
"I try to Google myself before applying for a job," wrote Dusty Fields on
Jason's DeBlog at wcco.com. "If there is any 'dirt' on me, I either try to take it down or develop a good excuse in case the employer Googles me and finds this 'dirt.'"
According to CareerBuilder.com, 33 percent of the recruiters who use social networks in their hiring process (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) have rejected candidates based on what they found.
"As an actor, I want to see if anyone is blogging/writing about me or a performance I've been in," said Ryan Lindberg,
via Twitter.
I "definitely Google myself: the first thing I do when I meet someone is Google them -- I want to see what other people see!" wrote Heather Warnecke
on Twitter.
So what do you do if you find negative information about you in a Google search?
"There's no easy thing to do," said Krejci.
But, proactively controlling your online identity is a good place to start. If you have a blog, Krejci said search engines rank those extremely highly. That helps guarantee your site ends up on the first page of search results. Putting photos online at a site like
Flickr or starting a
Facebook page can put those pages at the top of your search results.
"Everyone should Google their name at least once," said Paul DeBettignies, author of
MNHeadhunter.com. "For those with common names include state (MN or Minnesota) or other identifier to narrow it down."
The bottom line: information is power, and Googling yourself shouldn't be seen as a dirty word.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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