The old adage “be careful what you say, because someone might repeat it” would be better phrased these days as “be careful what you say, because someone might repeat it on the internet.”  Negative PR that makes it to the web can be immortalized in search results, forever tainting a person’s or company’s name.

One of the most interesting facets of SEO is reputation management–that is, attempting to push negative PR off the first pages of search results.  While a full-fledged reputation management campaign can be costly and time-intensive, you can take a small step toward managing your online reputation by creating a Google profile.

What is a Google profile? A Google profile is essentially an online resume, with information about your educational background, work history, and life experiences.  Take a look at my Google profile to see an example.

Why create a Google profile? If you’re one of the millions of John Smiths out there, perhaps you’ve experienced some disappointment when you’ve searched your name and found nothing about yourself.  Since Google profiles are eligible to be featured in search results, creating a profile may be a way for you to establish a presence in search engines.

How does a Google profile appear in search results? For the time being, Google seems to be displaying the profile listings at the bottom of page 1.  Here is how my profile appears:

Setting up a profile only takes a few minutes, so create yours today!

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