With the Secret Service, CIA, FBI and Karl Rove on speed dial, McCain turns to Google to vet VP candidates.
It got me wondering, if you don’t show up in the first few pages of a Google search result, do you exist? And, if you don’t exist in Google, how do you create a presence for yourself? I think it goes back to that whole SEO thingie, which can get too technical for me at times. I guess I’m like a lawyer in that respect. I don’t want to know how it works; I just want to be #1.
One of the reasons I started the Legal Watercooler was to see how easily I could manipulate my Google search results. Before the blog, there was some gymnast with the same name that was all over the first four pages. I popped up somewhere around page five. Not a real presence for anyone doing due diligence on me. In the month since launching the blog, if you search “Heather M. Milligan” the Legal Watercooler comes up #1. I show up as #2 for “Heather Milligan,” which takes you to the LMA-LA leadership page. Heather Milligan Marketing or Heather Milligan Legal both result in 1st place listings for the Legal Watercooler. Not bad for a free blog, some not-so-free time, and some pithy opinions.
I know there are other search engines out there, but do they count? I’ve tried some of them, but I always go back to Google.
So Coolerites? Where do you rank with Google? Are you number 1, or just floating out there with the other 822,000 results? If you’re mad as hell with your search results, what are you going to do to change it?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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3 comments:
About 4 years ago, I began questioning the existence of companies, people, and things when I couldn't find them in even the most creative of Google searches. Then I began to wonder if others did the same when they couldn't find me. So, I made my LinkedIn profile public, started using Web 2.0 tools, and learned I could quickly improve my results. Today I'm happy to report that both "AAARenee" and "Renee Barrett" hold the #1 spot.
Yes, Heather it is apparently in Google that we trust.
I don't exist on Google (at least not on the first 5 pages). How disappointing!
And yes, google is the one and only search engine for me.
I show up #1 for this reason: the Web site I built in 1998. This was before blogging, before LinkedIn, before Facebook. And here's the funny story:
As I was developing the web site in 1996 for my then employer, a very large real estate company, I reserved my own name, because...well, I need to practice somewhere. Learned HTML, built some pages, just learning how the Web site thing worked. Fast forward two years, I'm hired by BigLaw here in town to revive their marketing department.
A couple of weeks after arriving, I'm out at lunch with staff and our PR account executive. We get to talking about hobbies, I mention my own Web site. Three incredulous looks. "Why on earth would you want your own Web site?"
To be number one on Google.
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