It doesn’t matter if you have an upcoming job interview, an important meeting, or even a date. You WILL be Googled one day.
Knowing how to show up on Google search when someone enters your name is an extremely important skill that you need to master.
Unfortunately, most people don’t understand how to make their name searchable on Google – or why they should want to in the first place.
So let’s get this clear right now, looking good when someone googles your name is important.
Making your name appear first on Google is something that can have significant professional and personal benefits.
Not controlling how your name appears in Google will do the opposite.
If you’ve never googled your name, give it a shot and see if you’re accurately represented.
Most people do not know how to show up on Google, and that’s okay, because the problem can be fixed.
Why exactly is this important?
Google is the first place people turn to to learn more about a person, and often times it fuels the first impression.
Think about it:
- 80 million names are Googled every single day.
- 75% of HR department are required to research candidates online.
- Over 80% have turned down based on negative content.
- Over half will actually make decisions based on positive content they find.
It is absolutely essential you realize how to make your name searchable on Google, it starts with content that puts your best foot forward. However, people are often represented by irrelevant content .
Below are tips designed to teach you how to have the best version of you show up at the top of Google search for your name. This is how to take control of your presence on the web with some online reputation management tips.
1. Buy your own domain
This is definitely the highest-leverage step you can take when starting to practice how to show up on Google.
Google loves domain names and helpful websites. If your keyword (in this case your name) is featured in a domain, you will have a better chance of making your name searchable on Google.
You can get a personal blog or your business website from here. This is one of the most trusted web agency out there and they make the process very easy, plus you get the maximum benefit for both branding and Google rankings.
2. Create links to and from your content
Links are the currency of SEO (search engine optimization) which is crucial to building your personal brand online. When faced with competing keywords, names, and websites, Google turns to links.
Google considers every link as a vote for that specific web page, so the more votes a page has, the higher it will rank. If you have some competition and want to know how to make your name appear first on Google this is one of the most effective ways to make it happen.
Another important factor of how links work is that Google weighs how credible each link is. For example, a link from CNN.com is seen as more credible or authoritative than a link from some no-name blog.
Luckily there are some easy ways to create valuable links to and from your best results with core social media profiles.
Social Media profile examples:
- Medium
- And many more
If you use these as a foundation you will see that understanding how to show up on Google isn’t as tricky as it seems.
3. Get social & create content
Google loves fresh/updated content. If you want one of the best strategies for how to show up on Google, this is it. The more active you are on your Twitter, blog, Facebook, etc. – the more credible Google will find your site.
If you have a little extra time we highly recommend spreading the love around in a unique way.
Tweet something interesting one day, post a different status update on LinkedIn on another.
Create a blog post here and there regarding your career or passion and share it on your site. Doing things this way is a more well-rounded content strategy that tends to perform a little better and help make your name more searchable on Google.
The other reason why this is helpful is because as you go through this process, Google will start to view all of your sites and profiles as more authoritative. When a site is deemed to have more authority, that means its links/votes to other sites are more powerful as well.
Blogging became a simple and socially acceptable way to build a reputation online.
If you cannot blog on your own website, you can blog at medium.com, while linking to your main site and social media accounts.
You can also post short stories about your research topics at Medium and LinkedIn, and possibly on a Facebook “fan page”, and promote them on Twitter.
Aim at an audience that will never read your academic papers.
If you are successful, your thoughts will be picked up by other publications. If you are not, it’s still worth doing.
Your real target audience is Google.
It will take a few weeks, but you should be able to build up a coherent online presence that establishes your identity, your authority and your continuing activity.
Those are the three things that will increase your reputation with Google’s search algorithms, and improve your visibility.
You can’t make your competitors disappear, but you may yet be able to outrank them.
This is a way to get more value from your existing link network without changing anything directly.
4. Understand this is a process that takes time
Unfortunately, showing up in position #1 in Google search results for your name isn’t something that happens overnight.
It’s a process that requires time and attention. Google’s algorithms are complex and take thousands of factors into consideration.
If you have any questions or are still unsure about where to go from here, get in touch however you want! Customer support, social media, email, whatever works for you.
Give us a call at (234)-081-020-64720, or schedule a consultation.
We’re always eager to help.
