When someone meets you or wants to know more about you, one of the very first things they do is type it into Google. What shows up in those results can instantly build - or destroy - trust. If your search results don’t connect clearly to your business, you’ve already lost ground.
I recently met a financial planner at a networking event. Out of curiosity, I googled her before we talked further. What did I find? Almost nothing. No website, no clear contact information, and the only results tied to her name showed she sold insurance. She and her card said she offered financial planning, but her digital footprint told a very different story.
Think about it—would you hire someone to manage your money if you couldn’t find a trace of them online in the field they claim to specialize in? Probably not.
This is what my mentor Bond Halbert calls the Google sniff test. Here’s how to do it:
Type your name (or your business name) into Google.
Look at the first page of results.
Ask yourself: does this confirm the expertise I tell people I have?
If the answer is no, it’s time to fix it. Update your website so it appears under your name, publish content that links your expertise to searchable terms, and seek media mentions or guest appearances that Google will index.
Your online presence is your reputation. Make sure it tells the right story.