(Editor’s note: Jim Fowler is the co-founder of Jigsaw, a Web-based B2B directory. He submitted this column to VentureBeat.)
You probably know the importance of establishing and maintaining Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles - but there are plenty of other sites and directories where hiring managers, recruiters and potential clients - or investors - may find your profile.
Myriad sites and services collect business-to-business contact data and pass it on to large and small companies that are looking to make connections or recruit new hires. According to an online reputation survey done by Microsoft in December 2009, 79 percent of U.S. hiring managers and job recruiters said they researched the online identities of job applicants. 70 percent of those said they rejected candidates based on what they found.
When it comes to managing your online identity, it’s critical to control what’s presented about you. Outdated, inaccurate and unflattering information shouldn’t pop up during a web search. You don’t want to be identified at an entry-level job, for instance, when you advanced years ago. Making sure your information is listed accurately in B2B databases can be a critical part of landing the right job opportunity, starting a business relationship or being reachable when a new client wants your product or services.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jigsaw as a place to start, but beyond my own company, here are five sites you need to check when managing your online business identity:
Google Profiles: Google’s version of an official online profile is a great way to aggregate information about yourself that you want to present to the world. Create your Google profile (or claim your existing profile if you already have a posting identity for Google blogs) and start updating it any time. Your Google profile can include links to photos, your blog or website and other sites such as your Facebook or LinkedIn pages. If you have a verified Google profile, it should boost search engine optimization at your linked sites, making them appear high on Google search results.
123People and Pipl: These, and other personal information aggregators, crawl the Web looking for personal and professional information on individuals. That means they are searching out your online identities from every corner of the Web and aggregating them. Sometimes the information they dig up is accurate, sometimes it’s not: They leave it up to their proprietary software to figure out what's correct. Editing your profile in these services may be challenging, but you should at least visit these sites and see what comes up about you. Some allow you to verify your information online, while others provide tips on how to update your search results.
MySpace and Friendster: Remember that account you had in high school or college? Even if you’ve moved on, your old alter ego may still live there - and it may not reflect kindly on your professional self. (Shirtless beer pong photos, anyone?) Delete your ancient social networking accounts. Or, if your long-time social profiles have great SEO, consider replacing all your old information with a business version of yourself. That way, they will be appropriate venues for prospective new employers or clients to find you.
Also, don’t forget your own website and blog. It’s a no brainer, but if possible, you should own your domain name (e.g., www.firstnamelastname.com) and set up at least a simple profile as a home page. This is a critical part of building your business identity online. You can also use it to host a blog, where you can share content you create and establish yourself as a thought leader in your profession or industry.
On the other hand, if you have an abandoned blog that never got off the ground, delete it or you’ll risk looking stale or flaky. You can still promote yourself by following and commenting on industry blogs and other online publications relevant to your field of business and linking back to your cleaned-up, complete and relevant social profiles online.