Seven Easy Ways to Control What Google Says about You

Recently a client came to us asking if it was possible to deoptimize a site so that it would not be listed on the first page of Google. After probing, we were told the reason for the inquiry was to protect the client's online reputation. When searching for that individual by name, a court filing against that person came up as the #1 result. Whether the case was unfounded, true, or untrue, it could have a negative impact on business. Reputation Management 101 A growing percentage of recruiters are now screening their candidates, especially for teaching positions, by searching for their profiles on social networking sites, as well as seeing what Google has to say. Even old information and photos can come back to haunt you. A few years ago, I dated a girl whose family had already Googled my name by the time I met them and had found out what activities I was involved in throughout high school, read about my father's art career, and listened to my high school rock band's music my brother had posted five years previously. Unfortunately, you can not deoptimize a site is that is not under your control, but there are many other tactics you can use to manage your online reputation, or push down negative listings. Here are a few ideas. 1. Buy your name as a domain Register yourfullname.com at Godaddy, and for ten bucks a year you’ll have the exclusive on building the most authoritative/relevant source (as far as Google is concerned), on you. Use Godaddy's CMS web publishing tool to create a bio and you'll have a permanent #1 spot. 2. Start a blog Search engines love fresh content, and by having a blog you'll have an easy-to-use platform, and a way for people to get to know you personally. Start using one of the powerful established networks such as Blogger, Wordpress, Xanga, or Livejournal, and use your real name, not a handle when setting up the blog. It's even better to double up and have a blog on your domain as well, that way you have more than one relevant listing for your name. 3. Build a business profile Build a free professional profile on Linkedin and Naymz. Both networks are becoming the MySpace of the professional world. Who knows, you may even make a future business contact. 4. Create Social Networking Profiles MySpace has become better at optimizing its own content for individual profile owner's names. When you choose your MySpace domain, again, use your real name (myspace.com/yourname), not a cute pseudonym. You can build a second profile for that. 5. Be an Ezine Article Expert One network business experts show their stuff is EzineArticles.com . They do a good job of optimizing the expert profile section for the user's name. The more articles you post, the more links will push your profile to the top of Google. 6. Publish a press release If your business is facing bad PR online, make your own. Publish a press release on PRweb.com and spend the $40 to get it listed well in search. It's a small price to pay considering the business and credibility you could be losing without even realizing it. 7. Bid on Your Name Pay-per-click ads aren't just for direct response marketing anymore. They can be used to direct someone searching your name to positive information about yourself. If your name doesn't get searched that often, or you are not in the public eye, it will most likely cost you very little per click. Business owners are now realizing their brand isn't a logo, catchy slogan, or their website, it's what others are saying about their companies, and them personally. Using a few of these easy tactics you can control what Google says about you.