Online Reputation Protection is Smart, No Matter What Your Name Is
Did you know there are more than 44,000 people in the United States whose name is John Smith? You;d think that would make it more difficult for other people to pick you out of the online crowd, but actually, it doesn’t matter what your name is; if someone wants to find out about you, they can probably get plenty of information straight from the internet.
That’s why you need effective online reputation management, regardless of the commonness or uniqueness of your name.
Search Engines Make You Easy to Find
Even with a name like John Smith, the addition of a few more bits of info makes it possible for search engines to hone in on you. By providing the name of the city where you live, your job title, college, or other basic data, the search engine will narrow its choices down and wind up highlighting you. It doesn’t take a lot of technical skill to find someone online.
People who really want to know about you can even pay a small fee and use a commercial website that specializes in finding out information about individuals or companies. The fee is affordable, so many people do choose to use this tactic.
You never know who could be searching for you; it could be friend or foe. Their findings could be innocuous, but there may be information online that you would rather not be known by prospective employers, family members, or strangers. Some postings could be unflattering or even downright dishonest. Such misconstrued postings could have serious consequences that affect your employment, your relationships, and your future.
Make Online Reputation Management a Priority
If you own a business, are looking for a job or career advancement, have political ambitions even at the local level, or just want to protect your electronic privacy, you must practice reputation management.
You can take proactive steps to guard your online reputation. Start by conducting your own search and see what information you come up with about yourself. Are there things there you wouldn’t want seen by a prospective employer or your child?
You’ll also need to set up feeds to monitor the internet for any new information that might pop up in the future. There are several sites you can employ to help you with that task.
If there is negative information out there, you’ll have to work diligently to eradicate it or at least push it so far down in the search engines most people won’t find it. This takes time and some SEO knowledge, but you can do it yourself if you can put in some intensive effort.
One of the most efficient and effective ways to guard your online reputation is with the help of a reputable online reputation management company. They can help you protect your reputation and your privacy if you don’t have the time or the know how to do it yourself.
Reputation management is vital to protect yourself, your family, your business, and your future.Don’t wait until the damage is done.