Seven Wonders of the Search World – Part 5

This is part 5 of 7 in the series on Personal Branding and online name optimization…

We’ve all heard to expression that “XYZ company is an 800 lb gorilla” – it simply means that they are dominant in their field and when we say such things, we intimate that company is not to trifled with.  We’re also aware of the idea that elephants never forget, right?

However, in the field of personal branding online, there is a new creature – and it comes with the answer to the following question – “what do you get when you cross an 800 lb gorilla with a 5 ton elephant?”  Answer:  the Gorelephant - better known as Google.  The unstoppable, overpowering business entity with the long memory. 

This strange little analogy leads to:

FACT #5.  The internet (Google and other search engines) forgets less than an elephant

For all those hitting send before thinking, or being rude to customers online in a fit of anger, or even being railed against - the catalogable world information enters once it is in cybersapce is remarkable because: Once something is out there, it is out there – in general.  There are paid ways to remove some things (we have yet to find one that does it super well, but are always looking.)  Most of the time – people can (and will) find the info on you and your personal brand.  You can certainly cover it with plenty of other things to look at instead, and take top position online when your name is searched, but it is very difficult (or expensive) to remove bad press.

How does having top rankings for your personal brand help?  Besides making you easier to find, the truth of the matter is: people are generally unsatisfied with what they find.  If you make it easier for them to find something relevant - they will stop looking once they think they found what they were looking for.  Taking the time to position yourself properly and in a space where you control what is found, is key. 

Show them a large amount of information – even better – include links – and they will think they have found the font of knowledge about you.  And then that little indiscretion from college or happy hour or court or whatever else – may well never land on their radar.

 

Be sure to check out the other parts to this article – here are links to installment 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Andy “Google Me” Greider is a marketing consultant and new business director with Carroll/White and radio show host of business growth solutions show, Uniqueness is Power. Andy is also Brand Manager with qAlias, plus he is a serial entrepreneur, author, blogger, inventor of the Gorelephant and networther.