When was the last time you ‘Googled’ yourself?

let’s be honest here, have you Googled yourself before? I do it now and again, as good practice to see what’s my online profile like, and what information is there on me out there. I encourage everyone to do at least once in a few months.

Thankfully I’ve been blessed with a rather unique name so the results I get are most definitely me. For those who do not, let me show you a screenshot and some interesting findings.

felita Figueredo google search result

so this is the first page results from my search. Here are some observations:

1. Where is Facebook? When I ran this search last year, Facebook was one of my top results. Considering how much time and content I share on the channel. So why is it missing? Is the quality of the channel not as per Google’s guidelines? Or is this an indication of the rivalry between the two data powerhouses.
2. Linkedin is the first result. Last year Linkedin was in the top 5 and now its first. What does that mean? What caused this change?I would not spend much time on previously. Is it because it is a professional network? Is it the quality of content?

I am not sure what caused this change, but it was a wake up call. My first result on Google about me was a channel I neglected and did not participate on. If people viewed my LinkedIn profile, it would have been outdated and inactive. As a digital marketer is this the first impression I wanted to give? So I cleaned up my profile to be reflective of my standard. I spend more time on it than I ever did, and visit it every day. I try to share relevant and interesting content and network where needed.

So perhaps you should Google yourself and see what your results show about your life online. Is it what you expected? If your name is more common, try adding the location of where you stay, or the company you work in. Google’s location search helps tailor search results to be more relevant and helpful to you. It’s time to take control of your online identity and refine how others see you. After all we know that when people want to find something first they always Google it, including potential recruiters or your next date.