Google Profiles Showing Up in Name Searches

Google announced this week that they have begun to show Google Profile results at the bottom of search results pages for US names.  Detailing the way it works in this post on their blog, Google is making it easier for you to control what people find when they Google your name. I mean, surely you've Googled your own name, right? 

Google has also started providing links on the results page to search for a name in popular social media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace, etc:

Google Profiles have been around for awhile. They are a simple, clean, one page summary you can edit about yourself. It's tied into your Google account, and the profile allows you to write a brief bio, link to all of your social accounts, show off pictures from your Picasa account, etc:

But while Google profiles have been around for awhile, giving profiles such visibility in search results is a new and meaningful development. Yes, the stated motivation for displaying your profile is to provide you with more control over your name's search results. But there has long been the question about Google's absence in the social networking scene. The social networking site Orkut is a Google project, but has really only taken off in Brazil. 

Profiles, along with the networking features in Reader, Picasa and other Google apps is definitely a move towards a social network. Giving profiles a prominent display on search results pages is obviously a move to spark more user adoption.

But beyond social networking, Google Profiles is really another step towards Google providing you a comprehensive online identity, which is what I believe is their ultimate goal.

Anyways, don't want to go too far off on a tangent. If you don't have a Googe Profile, you should set one up. It's painless and easy. Just do a google search for "me" and follow the instructions.

Being aware of what's showing up when employers, prospects and colleagues search for your name is an absolute must in today's world. And having more control over what's showing up when they do search for your name is an opportunity you do not want to pass up.