Customers Are Getting to Know You — Through Google

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Many are saying that the first page of Google is the new resume. If it's about you and searchable, recruiters can find it and use it to judge whether you are a good candidate. With that said, have you Googled yourself lately?

This same theory applies to your brand. I've recently had several new clients tell me that they found me through Google and were able to gauge whether I was a good match for their projects solely based on my Google links — without ever speaking to me. Scary, huh?

I Googled myself and my business just for this post to better explain why they way you appear on Google is important. First I searched "Beth J. Bates":

• Link 1 – My professional blog. This gives any potential customer a window into my viewpoints, knowledge and sensibility about my industry.
• Link 2 – Link to a random post within my professional blog.
• Link 3 – Another link to my professional blog. I own most of the variations on my blog domain, so it appears in many searches.
• Link 4 – My blog on Second Life's Nonprofit Commons. The NPC blog shows potential clients that I am tuned into the world of nonprofits, particularly as it relates to virtual worlds.
• Link 5 – My Twitter profile. I communicate using Twitter a lot, so this is a great place to asses both my personal and professional views.
• Link 6 – My company website. This is where the customer can review my services, other projects and see if I'm strategically a good fit.
• Link 7 – My blog posts on Women Grow Business, a Network Solutions-sponsored blog for women business owners and entrepreneurs. This is a great way to see how I mesh with other women in my field.
• Link 8 – My profile on my nonprofit NING community. This shows my commitment to animal welfare, love of dogs and work with the nonprofit community.
• Link 9 – My profile on Twitter's GeoFollow. This shows where I am located in the U.S. comparable to other Twitter users. Not that important, but its likely you'll have one link that's not like the others.
• Link 10 – My professional blog on Facebook's "Networked Blogs". Again, another way to access my blog.

What's missing? My Facebook profile which I recently changed to a vanity URL, so it should display soon. And my LinkedIn profile which also changed from "bethbates" to "bethjbates" so, again, waiting for Google to catch-up.

My company name "Web Strategies" is more difficult to gauge since its a pretty broad term as keywords go, but it is the #1 link when searched.

Since Google is the #1 search engine and more potential clients are using it to research service providers, it makes sense to not only check your brand on Google but to monitor it from time-to-time. By staying on top of Google, you can ensure that potential clients see what you truly bring to their company.

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.