Audit what people will find
Search your full name, your name with your company, and your name with your city, while signed out of your accounts. Look at the first two pages of results, image results and news results. Make a list of anything outdated, inaccurate, confusing (such as a person with the same name) or negative.
Own the first page
The pages you control usually rank well for your name if they are complete and active:
- A clear biography page on your company website, with a current photo and role.
- A complete LinkedIn profile that matches your biography.
- Speaking pages, interviews, podcasts and articles you have written.
- Board and advisory listings, where they are public.
Consistent names, titles and dates across these pages make a strong, clear impression and help push down unrelated or unwanted results.
Clean up old social media
Review public posts, photos and comments on the accounts you control, going back several years. Archive or remove anything that no longer reflects you. Check privacy settings on personal accounts.
Remove personal data where you can
People-search and data broker sites often list home addresses, phone numbers and relatives. Most offer an opt-out process, and paid services can handle the requests on your behalf and repeat them over time. Google's "Results about you" tool can also remove results that show your personal contact details.
Prepare for due diligence
If anything in your history is likely to come up, such as a lawsuit, a failed company or a regulatory matter, prepare a short factual explanation in advance. A clear account given early is usually far better received than a surprise found by the other side's background check.
Keep watching
Set up a free alert for your name and your company so you hear about new coverage quickly. Check your search results again a few weeks before any important meeting.
When to bring in a specialist
If negative or confusing results appear on the first page, if a transaction or appointment is close, or if you simply do not have time to manage this yourself, an executive reputation advisor can run the audit, build the profile and monitor it for you.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different, so speak to a qualified professional about yours.