You may think you have a unique name, capable of attracting a correct Google search. However, the bigger the population gets, the more likelihood someone has not just a similar name, but the same name.
Why do you need to worry about this, though? Your accomplishments, education, and work experience speak for themselves, right? Wrong. You and your network may know who you are, but you cannot assume other people do. Your cyber twin (literally someone who has the same name as you) or “digital doppelganger” can overtake your good reputation with their less than stellar one. With more and more people taking a Google search at face value, you need to make sure to actually give a searcher a reason not to think highly of you.
Keep it current. Many people start social media accounts, but never update them. For online presence reasons, this practice needs to stop. Think about it this way: What if you started a business, promoted it heavily and gained prospects, but never opened? Your clients would think the worst, right? The same goes for your online platforms. In order to really stand out from your cyber twins, you should be updating your accounts often so your name is continuously being brought up in searches. Can’t keep up with them? Delete, or find a way to schedule posts/updates. “Not having time” isn’t exactly an excuse, especially when your reputation is at stake.
Brand yourself visually. In today’s image-crazed world, your visual presence (on top of your online presence) is an important factor to determine who you are. With that in mind, you should consider using similar themes and images in each of your online platforms. For example, if you have a blue color scheme on your blog, use the same for your Twitter background. Further, you should use the same profile picture in each account. Eventually, the question of whether or not you are your cyber twin won’t even be brought up because you have created a flowing visual brand.
Use Vizibility. Vizibility is the first SearchMe Button for Google. So, if you customize your search results through our PreSearch wizard and place the link on everything from your LinkedIn account to your business cards, you will further cement your name and experience. When someone stumbles on your website and clicks the link, your pre-arranged search results will pop up, which can be your resume, blog, testimonials, work experience, etc. It’s up to you. Your cyber twin will no longer be a problem because you have taken a proactive strategy like Vizibility to make sure you stand out.
Adrian Maynard is Vizibility’s director of marketing. He has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, many of those years in the technology industry. Find Adrian in Google at vizibility.com/adrian.
