Your answers to the following questions will determine whether you need to update your online image. That is the first step forward in expanding, correcting, repairing it…or simply establishing a more comprehensive one.
How much of the content in the first three pages of a Google search of your name includes positive, neutral and negative information and visuals?
What is the context and source of that content?
How up to date, accurate and authentic is it?
How credible are the sources?
Is the prominence of this content the result of benign neglect? Or is the content the result of a well-managed and organized campaign?
How significant are the platforms the content is on: is it a top 10 platform such as YouTube or Wikipedia, or a personal blog with a small audience?
These are questions to use when evaluating you or your organization’s online presence and its impact on your reputation:
Do you have a strong presence online, one that presents a factual, accurate and current image of your strengths? Do you have a monthly or quarterly plan to update and expand it?
Does your current brand identity reflect the direction of your professional, personal and philanthropic trajectory?
Are your photograph, website, blog, biography and related materials still relevant? Do they deliver a consistent message? If not, is this an appropriate time to rebrand?
For businesses whose international presence has increased significantly in non-English speaking countries, is it now necessary to create translated versions of website(s) and marketing materials?
Are your head shots and other photographs online over two years old?
If you are listed or referenced in Wikipedia, is the entry or reference up to date and accurate?
Is your privacy compromised, meaning is your personal address, age and family members’ names published in several public databases?
