Google yourself to protect your identity.

Do you protect your identity – online?

When is the last time you Googled yourself? It’s a good idea to do once in a while, to be sure your online identity is intact. Here are some tips to keep you in your own loop:

• Set up a Google Alert for your name or company. That generates an email or text to you as soon as something is posted containing the name.

• Create a generic, streamlined social networking page for your name or company. This helps you control what information you would like out there directly linked to you.

If you do receive alerts, or stumble across something untrue or unflattering about yourself, don’t panic, take these steps:

• Resist responding. Remember that search engines vary and display different results for different searchers. A negative post will only rank higher if you respond by clicking or adding content.

• Counteract by creating a positive post. This will push anything negative farther down on the search results list.

If a negative post is defamation or libel, contact an attorney who specializes in that field. It can get expensive – but it’s not likely you’ll get very far on your own.