There's a number of ways to build your online profile, from creating thought leadership content through a blog or on social media, to including relevant keywords and deleting old accounts.
Being Google-able (in a good way) can be a tough trick to pull off. But get it right, and you'll soon notice the difference it makes to your job search. Here's a simple 5-step guide to making yourself stand out online - for all the right reasons!
1. Google yourself
Seems obvious, but you need to start by giving yourself an idea of how Google-able you currently are.
Open up an incognito browser and give yourself a proper search – go past the first page of results for (including Google images).
What comes up? What sort of picture of a candidate does this Google search build? What needs to stand out more? What needs to go?
2. Check your Klout score
Okay, your second port of call is to see how much reach you currently have on social media.
Klout is a handy online tool that'll give you a score indicating how much influence you have on Facebook and Twitter. It also offers tips on how to improve your score.
Knowing where your influence is strongest will also help with the next step...
3. Audit your social media accounts
Okay – probably time to bin a few forgotten accounts.
Have you still got that old Myspace profile complete with embarrassing snaps? Maybe you set up an Instagram a while back but haven't ever posted anything?
Get rid of anything you can't use or don't want to use to your advantage!
4. Use keywords
Okay, now it's time to get smart. Using your newly streamlined set of social media accounts, start using keywords to make yourself really stand out.
Using the right terms in your posts and content will help it move up the Google rankings and into the right networks.
Basic SEO and keyword research isn't something you have to hire an expert to do – you can do the basics by yourself, for free! Check out Buffer's guide to free SEO.
5. Get a professional profile picture
Okay, last step! Now it's time to strike a pose!
Again, you don't have to hire a professional photographer and studio to get the perfect professional-looking profile picture. Just get someone to snap you against a plain, airy and bright backdrop with a decent camera.
Then use it against across all of your social media accounts (this doesn't have to be permanent for your Facebook profile, just while you're job-hunting). That way, when hiring managers Google you, they'll be able to put a smart, professional face to a name.