If you were born any time in the last 25 years, you probably grew up on the internet. You may have had social media accounts at a young age, and you may have said some things when you were 13 that you would rather people not know about today. Online reputation is increasingly important, and it can be overwhelming to begin trying to manage.
If you apply for higher education, a job, or even a small business loan, you may find that your past posts are coming back to haunt you. However, there are some steps you can take to clean up your online image, so that old statements or lies about you don’t torpedo your chances in life.
Determine What’s Out There
If you are looking to clean up your online reputation, you first have to know your current status. Start by doing a Google search for your name. You might be surprised by what you find. You might find embarrassing photos, old blog posts, old social media posts, or your name mentioned on someone else’s post in a surprising context.
Once you have seen what comes up on the first page or two of a Google search, try searching for yourself using different search engines. Each search engine uses its own algorithm and may pull something else up. You can also search for yourself on specific social media sites, which may pull up posts, groups, or even false profiles.
Set Up a Google Alert
The process of searching for yourself and seeing what is out there is exhaustive. It can also be frustrating having to filter through all the search results. However, your online reputation continually changes as you and others post more content to the internet. That being the case, you have to keep searching for yourself regularly if you want to stay on top of your online reputation.
Another option is to set up a Google alert for your name. You can select what types of results you want to be alerted about, such as news, web, blogs, and so on. The alerts can help you keep track of your online reputation, so you don’t have to do a massive search regularly.
Decide How You Want To Be Seen
Now that you know what is out there and can be alerted when anything pops up, you can decide what you want people to find when searching for you. Think about your goals and what kind of reputation will help you to achieve those goals. If you want to highlight writing, art, or music, you can set up a portfolio website for yourself. By regularly posting new content to the website, you can keep your website at the top of the search results.
If you are trying to push a professional profile that will help you to get your dream job, you can use career networking sites and join online communities in your field. By keeping your conversations professional, you can quickly generate a positive reputation among peers and potential employers.
Distance yourself from content that doesn’t promote your aspirational image. You might need to change the names of different profiles on various social media sites, set them to private, or deactivate them completely. You should also make sure that you look into groups you are joining for hobbies or other non-professional subjects to be sure they conduct themselves in a way you’re willing to be associated with.
Avoid Extortion
There are many scams out there, and no matter how internet savvy you think you are, you can still fall victim to one. The scammers are getting better and better at formulating the messaging that will get you to click on the links. They can pose as family or friends who need help or a business you frequent saying your account is locked. Some of the scams even say you have won something or that your order has been completed.
Once the scammers have your information, they can use that information to steal from you or blackmail you. Many of the links cause you to download a virus.
There are some things you can do to keep yourself safe. Double-check the identity of anyone sending you a link or download before you open it. Don’t open email attachments that look even slightly suspicious. You can also do a Google search for the email subject line or other phrases in the body text to see if other people have reported it as a scam.
Work With Professionals
If you have a negative reputation online that you can’t easily separate from, you may need professional help. It is difficult to completely remove negative things online, and the process can be long and time-consuming. Finding the best company to remove personal information from the internet will ensure the process is executed correctly and thoroughly.
Take It Seriously
The internet is forever. That can be difficult to understand when you are 10 or even when you are 20. However, you must keep up with your online reputation and make sure you are always putting your best digital foot forward.
