Amazingly, all of what Google publishes and how it brands is about how WE choose to serve, act and react. Transparency today gives us no-where to hide.
If you do it, say it or post it, you will be found and outed. Just Google people or companies and you will see many examples of this. I find this a bit spooky about Google, so I call it being “SPOOGLED”. Google has an amazing memory, not only for bad but for good actions, content, activity, results.
If you want to stand out, then have the right intentions and do good and that is what Google posts. It doesn’t edit, just publishes what it finds.
In working with career professionals on their career advancement, one of the first things we do is Google them to see how they are branded on Google. Like it or not Google tells your story and the great news is we have complete control over that story via what content we produce, messages we create and actions we take.
“I followed the instructions and with some difficulty eventually downloaded pages upon pages of personal material about myself from Google. What I was looking for was a simple, shall we say beautiful, button telling Google not to save anything I don’t explicitly want it to save. But there was no such button” says Frida Ghitis in her great article: Google Knows Too Much About You.
Here are 5 things that we completely control that impacts what Google publishes and how it brands you.
Philanthropy
A powerful and memorable way to brand yourself is how you connect to, receive from and give back to the world and community that supports you. Here are some of the top philanthropic people from 2012 and the areas they give to. Google them.
Volunteering
Giving of yourself is to some the most valuable thing you can give. Giving your time, love, expertise, support has profound value. Find something you really care about and an organization that supports it and volunteer. They will benefit, but you will benefit more. Love what Sean Penn does in Haiti.
Mentoring
Truly one of the greatest ways to advance your career, as well as help others advance theirs. It’s based in true respect, admiration and gratitude. Mentoring can occur throughout many cycles of your career.
Optimism
Having a positive outlook, attitude and demeanor, regardless of circumstances is magnetic. Courage under fire shows grace and gives others hope.
Accountability
Taking personal responsibility for and being responsible for our actions. Regardless of some of the things people have done, they can resurrect themselves and can be forgiven. Watch how Tiger Woods and Michael Vick have climbed back.
Google says “We use the information we collect from all of our services to provide, maintain, protect and improve them, to develop new ones, and to protect Google and our users. We also use this information to offer you tailored content – like giving you more relevant search results and ads”.
Like it or not, believe it or not, there is no hiding from Google. Here are Google’s Privacy Policies, in case you want to know what they do with all your information.
If you never want to worry about what Google is going to publish about you, then simply stand out by doing good and having the right intentions and that’s what you will be remembered for.
Author:
Deborah Shane is Top 100 Small Business Champion 2012, Career Author, branding/media strategist, writer and speaker. She hosts her Toolbox Blog and a popular weekly Business Radio Show that has over 205K downloads! She is a regular contributor toSmallBizTrends.com, Monster, Blogher, PersonalBrandingBlog.com, Forbes.com. Her book Career Transition-make the shift is #1 paperback and #2 kindle in Career Transition ona Amazon.com. Deborah delivers smart ideas and solutions, which make her a popular go-to resource for CNN, CBS, Fox and Forbes.
