Digital Footprint
There is an easy way to determine the purity of the information that is available online. Remember, purity is how much information comes up in an Internet search that is about you and not someone with a similar name or similar interests.
Using the information from the search you did using your name, take the following steps to determine the purity of the information that is about you:
Using the information from the search you did using your name, take the following steps to determine the purity of the information that is about you:
Step 1
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Take the total of all of the search results from the first page and multiply that number times three.
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Step 2
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Take the answer from Step 1 and subtract the total number of search results that were NOT about you on the first three pages of the search results.
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Step 3
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Take the answer from Step 2 and divide that answer by the answer from Step 1.
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Step 4
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Multiply the answer from Step 3 by 100 to get the percentage of purity.
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An example:
I can confidently say that approximately 80% of the results that are returned in a “My Name” search is actually about ME!
- I searched my name on Google. Google gave me 10 results on the first page, therefore I multiplied: 10 x 3 = 30.
- I looked at all of the items on the first three pages and counted 6 items that were NOT about me, therefore I subtracted: 30 – 6 = 24.
- Then I divided: 24 / 30 = .80
- Finally, I multiplied by 100: .80 x 100 = 80%
I can confidently say that approximately 80% of the results that are returned in a “My Name” search is actually about ME!
Determine Relevance
It is also important to consider whether the information that is presented on the Internet reflects who you say you are and what you claim to value. Take a moment to think about how you want to be known (this may be aspirational, meaning it's not what you are known for today but how you would like to be thought of). Now thinking about only the results that were about YOU on the first three pages of your Internet search, select the option that best describes your results:
No Relevance
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The results that are about me have no relation to how I want to be known.
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Little Relevance
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A few of the results that are about me communicate how I want to be known.
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Some Relevance
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About half of the entries that are about me express my area of expertise, and there are many references to my website, blog, or online profiles.
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High relevance
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About three-quarters of the entries that are about me clearly express my personal brand (how I want to be known).
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Complete Relevance
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Almost all of the results that are about me are very consistent with my area of expertise and how I want to be known.
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