Are You Google-able?
Right now, calculate your online visibility using Kirsten and William’s formula.
1.Open a new browser window and “Google” yourself.
2.Count the number of entries that are actually about you (not someone else with the same name) on the first three pages.
3.Divide this number by the total number of results on the first three pages.
4.Then multiply by the total hits Google yielded (in the upper-right corner of the results page).
5.This number gives you an approximation of your individual online brand volume.
A professional with 0-5 years of experience should be in the 5-50 range.
A director-level manager with over 10 years of experience or an established small business owner should be between 500 and 5,000.
A corporate-level executive at a major company, a highly acclaimed expert, or best-selling author should fall somewhere between 50,000 to 500,000.
Build Your Online Identity
February 2008
Kirsten Dixson and William Arruda
Coauthors
Hiring managers, colleagues, clients, and business partners are potentially “Googling” you. How you are presented on the Web can therefore make or break opportunities. Whether you are trying to dilute negative publicity, or just looking to get on the map, here’s how to improve your online identity.
Join the blogosphere.
Blogs are the most economical way for you to create an attractive Web presence. They also improve your search-engine rankings (you’ll appear at the beginning of the list results), because ranking algorithms value frequently updated content. To start a blog, go to any of these hosted blogging applications and follow instructions on setting up an account: www.typepad.com, www.wordpress.org, www.blogger.com.
What should you write? Blog about topics that convey your thought leadership in your area of expertise. You don’t always have to be original. Link to and comment on what others are writing, and you’ll create a well-organized resource for your industry niche. Use common sense (don’t write anything too personal or negative about your employer). Blogging three or more times a week is ideal, although twice a month is more practical and will still improve your Web presence.
Create a Web portfolio.
Developing a website can be the best way to create a controlled presence online without having to constantly generate new content. Your Web portfolio should provide tangible evidence of your achievements such as your bio, case studies, links to press coverage of your initiatives, audio testimonials, a video clip of a recent presentation, articles you’ve published, awards, press releases, or schedules of speaking engagements. Remember, a low-quality website is worse than no site at all. Hire someone who can help you develop a site that clearly expresses your individual brand with compelling design and easy-to-navigate information.
Join online networking sites.
Use these sites to post your profile, make connections, and research people and opportunities. Here are examples of substantial business networking/profile sites, each with different niches: www.ryze.com, www.linkedin.com, www.zoominfo.com, www.ziggs.com. If you have your own website or blog, you can add a link to them in your profile. Cross-linking between your outlets will increase visibility.
Publish articles online.
There are many Web portals that will accept your articles. ArticleAnnounce (a Yahoo Group), for example, takes articles of all kinds and makes them available to those who need content for magazines and e-zines. Find the right place to post your articles and regularly submit content with links to your website or blog, so that members of your target audience can easily access more information about you.
Post book reviews.
Write reviews of books that are relevant to your area of expertise at sites like www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. Provide links in the review to your website or blog. Remember, if your area of expertise is nuclear physics, reviewing Rachel Ray’s new cookbook will only dilute your brand message.
Adapted from Kirsten Dixson and William Arruda’s Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand. Copyright 2007 William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Learn more at www.careerdistinction.com