My name is Keith Petri and I am the Founder and President of eBranding Me. As a young entrepreneur with a large support network, I have been receiving a great deal of help in the early stages of eBranding Me. A good friend of mine shared a very interesting article with me yesterday. Published by Toni Bowers, the short piece titled “Facebook and Personal Brand Suicide: What You Can Do to Prevent It,” discusses some of the key issues about online privacy.
However, the article mentioned a very useful tool that I have yet to share with my audience: Google Profiles. As a Generation Y student attempting to successfully enroll in college or secure gainful employment post-graduation, it is necessary to maintain a positive image online. Statistics have shown that the percentage of College Admissions Officers and Human Resources Staff that search potential candidates on Google is steadily climbing.
What does Google have to say about you?
Follow these steps to have increased control over your Google search results:
- Visit http://www.Google.com/Profiles
This will allow you to help people find the right information about you, enable you to create a personal landing page to direct them to all of the social networks you are involved in online, keep family and friends up-to-date, and enable you to better keep track of your peers activities on the World Wide Web. - Create Your Personal Profile
Take your time to fill in the information to the best of your ability. The more information you provide here, the more accurate your search results will be and less research any potential admissions officer or employer will feel obligated to conduct. - Upload a Professional Headshot
As the eBranding Me blog has emphasized in the past, a professional headshot is a necessity when participating in any online social network. Always present yourself as a professional. Your reputation and image are not only reflecting personal values and beliefs, but those of the college or company that you belong to as well. - Link, Link, Link
At the bottom of the “Edit Profile” page, it asks you to link to all of your profiles on various social networks online. Each link matters, so be sure to double check the URL and provide a descriptive title to minimize confusion. - Share
Once your Google Profile is created it will have a unique URL (i.e. http://www.google.com/profiles/keith.e.petri). Share your profile URL with family and friends. Furthermore, feel free to link to this page from your Facebook profile, Twitter bio, LinkedIn account, etc. I recommend including the URL on your college application and resume as well.
Share your Google Profile URL below to improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)! Learn more about SEO by purchasing “SEO Made Simple” – a short book that explains how to take full advantage of the world’s leading search engine.
