Be the First Hit… on Google That Is
Have you ever searched your name on the Internet? If you haven’t, you definitely should, it can be pretty interesting to see what pops up.
In the United States alone, there are 136,462 people with the first name Caroline and 256,667 with the last name, Sullivan. There are 109 people with the combined name Caroline Sullivan. That’s awkward; I’m the only one that I know.
Apart from there being 109 other people with “my” name, I should be thankful that none of the other Caroline Sullivan’s out there have committed a felony… now that would be really awkward!
So, how do I make myself special and guarantee that I can easily be found on a Google search?
Blossom in a field of weeds
When asking yourself how you can be unique, think hard, but not too hard, you don’t want to hurt yourself. 😀 There is always something that makes your name unique against all the other “Sarah Smith’s”.
For me, it was my middle name. It sticks out like a sore thumb. When searching my full name on Google, the first thing to pop up is my LinkedIn Page and the second being my Facebook page.
For starters, including your full name on your LinkedIn page and resume can make less competition and less of a chance for a clone that you weren’t aware of.
Now, if your full name is the same as several people from your neighborhood you’re going to have to do a little extra work to make your online presence stronger than the others to stand out.
If you’re still struggling with a common name, blame your parents for being mundane. After you do that, think of a hobby you have or an attribute that makes you who you are. Are you Sarah May Smith the cyclist? Or are you Sarah M. Smith the anime enthusiast? Use play on words, and get creative to spice things up.
Build yourself up, buttercup.
The Internet holds an endless amount of information and you don’t want someone to search your name and have it be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
In today’s world, no one has the attention span to do that kind of work. Why would someone spend endless amounts of time trying to find you? You’re the one that wants to be found! They can’t want to find you if they don’t know you exist.
Wanna stand out? We are sharing what makes a recruiter notice you in our free eBook.
Building your own website is the best way to build your presence on the Internet while being able to control what is found. With a personal website, you can 100% control what is found about you versus what an employer could find on your Facebook page or even Google alone.
If you are someone with a common name, a personal domain name is an extra way to make yourself stand out against all the others with the same or similar name.
Frost Yourself in your Brand
Having a website, you can brand yourself down to the specifics.
One thing you can do is have a constant style throughout all creative fronts.
Although you might think that a certain style isn’t going to do much for yourself on the Internet, it can be quite impactful to have the same style to create a visual identity. I like to use the same font and style on my CV and cover letters for job applications so there is no question about them going together—I also like to show my personality as much as possible through simple choices I make through my branding.
When it comes to social media the styles of editing on my Instagram photos are very similar for personal branding purposes. When writing blog posts I use the same structure to be easily recognizable from post to post.
In addition to a constant style, a logo can be a useful way to create an identity online. This logo can be put on all fronts to create a continuous image, which is beneficial for recognition for people to see who you are.
The Unknown Mistaken Identity
Apart from branding yourself online, creating a personal website can have a huge impact on what employers or anyone thinks about “you”. Don’t care what people think? Good for you, but you might want to get off your high horse and listen up.
In more instances than one, employers have googled potential employees and found the wrong person and assumed it was the right “John Smith”.
Rember that felony remark from the introduction? The co-founder of BrandYourself.com struggled to find a job because he was showing up as a criminal with the same name on Google. If you create a strong online presence it is less likely you will pop up as the criminal who robbed a bank at the quick mart.
The best scenario of having a twin out there would be taking long walks on the beach and Holiday dinners together, but we can’t all be that lucky!
All of these suggestions can easily be accomplished, but make sure to top it off with your own personal website to create an original brand, one that your long lost twin can’t copy! No one likes a copycat.
What did you do to make your name be at the top of the list on a Google search?
