We’ve all done it, whether we admit or not – typed either our own name or the name of a friend, family member, or online contact into Google. The results can be somewhat mixed. Now, thanks to the new Google Profiles, there is at least the chance to put yourself in control of what information people find about you. If you’re willing to pay the (non-monetary) price.

Google Profiles has been with us for over a year now, but due to very little publicity or any noticeable placement on Google’s homepage, haven’t really taken off. That is now highly likely to change with Google announcing that a person’s Google Profile will now show up in search results for their name.

Searching for people on Google is one of the first things most new Web users do, with their own name probably being the first they’ll type into Google Search. The problem is that not only are there likely to be results for other people with your name mixed in with you, there could also be information you’d rather wasn’t given such a high billing in the results.

Google will now place a box at the bottom of searches containing any names. Four Google Profiles will be on display with more available to view with a ‘Click here for more results’ type offering. Google isn’t yet revealing how to guarantee your profile is one of the instantly visible ones and probably never will do. All it recommends is making sure your profile is as complete as possible. Whatever that means.

The type of information Google is asking for includes your name, a picture, basic information on your location, contact information, a short biography, and links to relevant Web sites. The chances are that most of this information is already available online for people with the desire and knowledge to find it. After all, most of us put many more personal details on social networks than we should do.

Google Profiles and its new highly-visible placement in search results doesn’t cure all the ills of having an online presence which you have little control over, but what it does do is give the individual the opportunity to compile the relevant information in one place which most people will be able to find easily.

You can create or edit your Google Profile now by just typing “me” into Google.com and following the prompts. But beware, the only way to try and control what information is being shared about you on the Internet requires you to give up more information to Google in the process. Which isn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 12:49 am under Google, Internet, Opinion, Web2.0.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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