Why Search Results = Free Marketing

We’ve all done it. An idle moment staring at the monitor and the thought pops into your mind, “I should Google myself.” It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, figuring out what results you get when you search yourself online is a central aspect of learning how to market yourself and build your brand.

Many reputation-building sites focus on minimizing negative search results, but in fact it can be much more productive to emphasize building a personal brand by getting your name out there on the web in positive ways. Making yourself “Google-able” (if you will) means that you have successfully moored your professional identity to your search results. This benefits you in a few important ways.

When people can find the things about you that you want them to find through search engines, it builds your personal brand. For example, if the first things people see in search results about you are a portfolio website, your Yasni Exposé, your LinkedIn account, and activity on professional websites, they can see that you are active as a professional and within your discipline. This makes you look more credible to people who are seeking your professional services.

reputation

Continue reading Why Search Results = Free Marketing

Parents have to protect their children on the Internet

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, gave an interesting interview to a German news page a few days ago. Although the interview was rather short, it contained some striking answers. In the past, the former CEO of Google was responsible for one or the other nice quote, as in late 2010, when it came to the visions of Google.

Now Eric Schmidt was asked if parents have to protect their children online. However, there is still one unanswered question as to whether parents are able to protect their children online.

Do parents have to protect their children?

“Of course! They have a great responsibility. Children are usually not aware of the fact that everything they post on the Internet will accompany them for a lifetime. What has been published cannot be deleted. And there will always be someone who has a copy. Therefore, I think parents should always know what their children do on the net. They should know their children’s passwords until they are 18.”

Of course, the parents’ duty of care for their children also applies for the Internet.  The question is whether children can be controlled and give out their passwords….

No Right to be Forgotton on the Internet

Anyone, who publicly posts statements on the Internet that are intended for the general public cannot assert a right to be forgotten afterwards. However, should the Internet “learn” to forget, when the term “digital eraser” was chosen as non-word of the year several months ago? Even if a forced deletion of information would restrict communication, transparency, and the availability of information?

The question whether there is a right to be forgotten on the Internet will now soon be brought before the courts in the EU. The European Court of Justice will hear the case of a Spanish man who urges Google to erase his name from its search index. A controversial topic in which the Google’s position is clear: The search engine giant does not consider itself responsible for negative or inappropriate information from a person’s past and, therefore, won’t delete it from the Internet. Google sees itself as host of information, not controller or publisher.

google

Continue reading No Right to be Forgotton on the Internet