They can find you on Facebook and LinkedIn, watch your videos on YouTube, see your photos on Flickr and subscribe to your regularly updated blog. You’ve finally covered all your bases in terms of online profiles, right?
We’re afraid not.
There’s yet another online profile agents can use to expand their online presence: Google Profiles. These profiles have existed for some time, but they are now searchable and are included at the bottom of all US name-query search pages. So, for example, a US Google search for “John Smith” will bring up the usual results along with four Google Profiles for John Smiths, and a link to any that aren’t displayed at first. This presents another opportunity for agents to present themselves to Google searchers on their own terms.
Another online profile? Seriously?
A recent post on the Official Google Blog explains the thinking behind these profiles:
“When searching for yourself to see what others would find, results can be varied and aren’t always what you want people to see—whether it’s someone else with your name, or the finishing time from that 5K you ran back in 2002. We want to make that better and give you more of a voice.”
In other words, a good Google Profile is one more step towards controlling how people see you when they using the all-pervasive search engine.
Ok, so how do I set it up?
The good news is, Google Profiles are arguably less time consuming to create than something like a Facebook or Flickr account, and there’s also less ongoing upkeep involved.
The information in a Google Profile is divided into three sections: “About Me”, “Photos” and “Contact Info”. Of course, you can decide exactly how much information you want to include, and the contact information is only visible to the people you specify. Photos can be taken from an existing Flickr, Picasa or other online photo account.
Your profile can also be linked to all the other places you appear on the Internet, including other social networking profiles and your own blog or website. Once you’re comfortable with your new profile, you can create groups based around your family, friends and co-workers.
To begin filling out your profile, visit google.com/profiles. You may find that some of your basic information is already completed, depending on which Google applications you already use.
There’s already speculation that Google Profiles could expand to take over from Facebook as a new force in social networking. So, even if you’re feeling exhausted at the thought of filling out another online profile, perhaps it’s best to spend a few minutes siging up for one with Google, just to be on the safe side.
Related posts:
- Is Your Google Profile Up to Date?
- trulia.com Updates Agent Profiles
- Can Social Media be Simplified?
- Social Profiles Made Simple: about.me
- Is Google Latitude Useful for Agents?
- The Top Five (Free) Google Tools for Agents
- Google Rolling Out Business Photos
- AgentWorld Connects Leads With Agents
- Google Gives Advice for Business Listings
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