If you’re a local business professional, what’s the first thing your prospects now do before they hire you?

They’re gonna “Google” you… Your Business Name and YOUR Name too.

Your Google Profile is where you begin to “Own Your Name” online.

So the Big Question is:

When your prospects and clients  “Google” you, what do they find?

Do you “own” The Google space for your own name?

Here’s how to Claim Your Google Profile Name.

1. Sign into your Google account. Don’t have a Google account? Create one. RIGHT NOW. (click on “Sign In” in the upper right corner of your screen and follow the screen prompts) Before you read one. more. word.

Tip: Use your name as your Gmail address. Your Personal Profile URL Name defaults to this, but you can change it.

(Here’s a BIG TIP: Use your name consistently on all your online profiles. Your name is now your brand.  We’re moving from the days of Location, Location, Location for Local Businesses to Content, Content, Content and Community, Community, Community.  If you have a common name, like a “John Smith, you’ll need to use your Full Middle Name, or something like John Michael Smith, DDS to distinguish from non-dentist John Smiths)

2. If you haven’t claimed a Personal Profile… Click “Create a Profile”.

3. Add your Personal Information. Complete it all. You never know when an old school friend, past co-worker, or previous neighbor is looking to find you. Make sure you add a Photo Head Shot of yourself. Pick a good one because you’ll want to use this photo as your personal brand at other social sites online.

4. Add “A little personality” Have fun, but if your Personal Profile is for business connections, (yes, if you’re in business it IS for business connections online) be professional and consistent with the brand image you want to create.

5. Add Links This is  KEY. Add links to your Website, Website Landing Pages, Company Blog, Personal Blog, Facebook Profile and Pages, Twitter Accounts, Flickr Photo Sharing account, YouTube Channel… all the places where you have information and content online. Remember, Google passes “link-love” from your Personal Profile back to your sites. Take advantage of this “Google Gift” and keep your links up-to-date. I go in and add and update my links monthly.

6. Add Photos- You can tie into any Photos you have on Picasa or Flickr.

7. Add your Contact Information.

And when you finish, Your Google Personal Profile should look something like this:

Walt Goshert: Google Personal Profile

(You’ll find Google Profile screen captures in my Photos. You can click on them and enlarge them)

There you have it… Your Free Google Name-Claim. You’re on your way to On-Line Fame!

After you complete your Google Personal Profile and Claim Your Name, go ahead and “Google” yourself.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the first page of results. You should find your Profile Picture and a link back to your Google Personal Profile. Here’s mine.

After you create your Google Personal Profile, don’t stop. You’ll want to Claim Your Name on other relevant social media sites.

More on these to come…

Soon.

For now, we’ll keep  digging into the Google Free Tools for Local Businesses.

Oh yeah, if you have any comments, suggestions, or questions…

Ask away below on the Comments, or let’s talk on Google Buzz.

(One more BIG REASON to Claim your Google Name… In fact, could turn out to be the most important reason.)

Flickr Photo Credit: NatalieMaynor

Related articles Google Profiles and Google Buzz:

• Review: The full buzz on Google Buzz (computerworld.com)
• Opinion: With Buzz, Google over-promises, under-delivers (macworld.com)
• What Journalists Need to Know About Google Buzz (poynter.org)
• Google to Introduce a Twitter/Friendfeed Like Feature for Gmail (thenextweb.com)

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