While you may think you are in control of your online reputation, Google is going to play a much bigger role in what other people think than in what your reputation really is!
It might not seem fair (and it’s not), but that’s how it is. Billions of searches are made on Google every single day, and depending on what Google ranks at the top of the search results, that’s what your online reputation will be.
There is good news, however. Your personal or brand name can rank at the top of the search results, and you can control what others see when they search for your name online.
A Breakdown of Your Personal Profile in Google Search Results
When it comes time to start researching and preparing to protect your name in the search results, the first (and most obvious) thing you should do is Google yourself! Type your name in the search results and see what comes up.
If you don’t see your website, blog, or social profiles, you are in trouble! But don’t worry yet—we are going to help you in this article and show you how to regain control over your good name and rank at the top of the search results in the process.
Before attempting to change the search results and investing a lot of time and money in securing your number one ranking, you should first invest some time in understanding why and how different sites rank for your name’s search results.
In the infographic below, provided by BrandYourself, we get a complete breakdown of a person’s Google results — and how to look better in the process.
Google is your first impression.
Over a billion names are searched daily through Google. Whether you think you are famous or not, there is a good chance someone is checking your name every day—which could be your employer, a client, or even people you know and meet with every day. The question is… what are they finding when they start searching for you online?
If your social profiles and websites rank beyond the first page of Google, you might not even be listed. Reports show that 94% of people only look at the first page of Google’s search results. The good news is that if you are ranked on page 2 or 3, it shouldn’t take much work to boost your rankings to page 1.
Only 2% of people “own” the whole first page of the name on Google. This is extremely tough to do, even tougher if you share the name of a popular celebrity, politician, or athlete.
What Sites Rank Best in Google
If you want to look better in Google, you need to know what sites Google prioritizes. Yes, Google loves to rank social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but not all social networks are the same.
At the top of the list is LinkedIn. It’s simply the king of social networks in terms of Google ranking. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one today. After LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter take second and third place, respectively.
Other profile pages that rank exceptionally well in Google are WordPress (great for hosting your blog), Vimeo (ranking even higher than YouTube in most cases), Zerply (a known design job site, but ranks very high), and Flickr (no other photo sites rank near this one).
There are thousands of social profile sites, but only a few will help you rank in the search results. Popular sites like Meetup, Foursquare, DailyMotion, StumbleUpon, and Digg are all popular, but they are rarely seen on the main page of Google.
Take Action to Control Your Online Reputation
The best way to control your online reputation and see improvements in Google’s ranking for your name is to take immediate action and follow the advice on our blog.
If you own a business, you should also take ownership of your Google My Business account as soon as possible.
Below are some of our most helpful articles on using content creation and social networks to rank higher in the search results.
- How to Own Your Brand’s Search Results
- Best Practices for Protecting Your Name with Social Media
- CEO Reputation Management: An Owner’s Guide to Social Media
- 5 Tools to Monitor and Repair Your Online Reputation
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