Companies, businesses, organizations and governments spend millions (perhaps even billions) of dollars trying to ensure that you can find them on search engines (namely Google). The whole idea of being searchable (def. ability to be found) has created a new industry of professionals specializing in search engine optimization. Now I have my reservations about the tactics and strategies used but as long as a good informative webpage that is useful to people can be found, then I am satisfied. Nevertheless the battle to be at the top of the search engine results remains a controversial matter to me.
But are you Googleable?
The matter of being able to be found is important not only to organizations, but to individuals now. I’ve long advocated to my friends to ensure that they can be found on the Internet only to be ignored. The argument typically being — “I want my privacy and it seems creepy that people can find me.”
True — the era of search engines (notably Google of course) has created a new way for employers to find out about potential candidates before hiring them. This of course can seem both good and bad but to people who complain about privacy and then turn around and have a personal blog and photos available for public access — have you forgotten that the Internet is a public space?
Keeping in mind that the Internet is a public space, it is vital for everyone to make claim to their online identity. Claim it and define it as you wish, but keep in mind that it is important to draw the line between private and public.
Chad Sapieha wrote a great piece for the Globe and Mail about one’s Google Reputation and employment prospects. It doesn’t only stop with Google, there’s that whole social media realm too so take control of your online identity and shape it appropriately.
After all, you are marketing yourself 
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