So, I sent my first invite to Peter, because, what good is Google+ if the love of your life isn’t in?

Next I sent another invite to a friend IRL who is NOT an early adapter because maybe she’ll use it and it’d be cool to see her smiling face in my stream. And she helped me paint my dining room, without me even asking.

Now I’m ready to send a few more, but have no stinkin’ idea where those invites are!! I’ve looked here, there and yonder but still can’t find them.

They’re like my keys. I know they were here somewhere…just a few minutes ago, even. I swear, I just had them. Thankfully, at least once they’re gone, those suckers won’t cost more than the $200 replacement keys for the Honda Odyssey. But that’s another story.

Anyone??

Finally we were home one evening and Peter answered the call. He was able to insert a bit of testosterone into a the conversation. No more calls.

I started thinking. I remembered that I had blocked our address from Google’s search results a long time ago but suddenly I wondered if it showed up on Bing.

Bing-O! The top search result for my phone number (which he already had) displayed my street address AND a map. The above screenshot for World Help is similar to what I saw, but with my own info.

After a little searching, I found the link to remove my address from Bing’s search results and processed that request faster than Accenture dropped Tiger. Literally. Here’s the link in case you’re interested. Despite my speedy response, my results would still be available for 72 hours. Nice!

Argh!

Today as I was typing this, I wondered about Yahoo and other places that have public info. Yep. It’s out there.

Many would argue that the information has always been out there – public, for all to see. And they’d be right. Except it’s easier than ever now for someone to find your info, your address, and map it.

What does this mean for you?

• Do you want your address to show up in simple web search results? If not, click here for some good info on how to remove your phone number from Online Phone Directories.
• Do you have your home phone number listed in your social networking profiles? If you answered no to the first question, you should make sure your home phone number doesn’t show up on your Facebook account and other social networking profiles.
• Are your kids sharing your home phone number, and if so, with whom? (Click here to read Is Your Teen’s Facebook Page Open for All The World To See?)

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. We can’t all be Becky McCray. Becky owns the entire first page of Google search results for her name. Few people have such a claim to fame. Literally.
   
2. Do a quick search using the letters “SEO” (Search Engine Optimization) and you’ll see 55 million results. People will take your money to help you with SEO. But before you lay down a ton of cash, consider this. Is it just me, or does anyone else wonder about the capabilities of a company to deliver great SEO results if their company doesn’t do so well in a search for their name or industry? I’m just sayin.
3. Google returned almost 8 million results for the entry “Cheryl Smith.” (Hey, at least it’s not Mary Smith.) I’m up against a realtor, dog trainer, reporter, motivational speaker and yes, a dead porn star. And yet my website, blog and image consistently show up on the first page of Google. (Even before the Facebook Ad post.) How?
4. Social media helps with search results. I don’t pretend to be an SEO expert nor understand the intricasies of spiders and metadata. (I sound tech savvy, don’t I?) I’m an average person who’s spent a fair amount of time in the last couple of years using social media and therefore, harnessing its power.

What does this mean for you and for your business?

• Take your pulse. How many items appear in a search for your name? Where do you show up? And where would you like to be?
• Own what you can. Besides your own URL, what other sites should you consider? LinkedIn? Twitter? Flickr? Facebook? A blog? I’m not suggesting you hop on every site. I am suggesting you think about what makes sense and go for it! Waiting until you have it all figured out will put you very far behind. Most of us are figuring it out as we go along.
• Pay attention when people want to take your money. If someone uses words you don’t understand, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re an expert. Ask for recommendations from Trust Agents.
• If I can do it, so can you. One thing I’ve learned from watching HGTV’s Over Your Head is this: Do it Yourself projects rarely go as planned, are hard work and sometimes you need a little extra help along the way. But man, the rewards are so cool. (And Eric, if you’re listening, have I got a back yard for you!)

So what about you? What does an ego search reveal about you or your company? And what are you doing to increase your ability to be found in search results? Share your info here in the comments. We all want to learn more!

I’ve recently been reminded of the importance of the basics. My sound advice has not come from the halls of Harvard, the offices of Google, the C-suite of Wall Street, nor the pages of The New York Times Bestsellers List. No, my teachers are 10-year old boys – specifically my step-son and son. Though both boys posses above average intelligence, I don’t ordinarily think of them as child prodigies of the business world. On the contrary! Lately my husband and I find ourselves saying things like,

“Did you wash your hands?” (yes) “Did you use soap?” (no)
“Did you brush your teeth?” (yes) “Did you use toothpaste?” (no)
“Did you wash your hair?” (yes) “With shampoo?” (no)
“Did you take a bath?” (yes) “Did you use soap?” (no)

You see the pattern here? For some unknown reason, truths that were at one time clearly obvious to these boys, are now nowhere to be found in the recesses of their minds. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would swear aliens landed in our yard, entered our house in the middle of the night and did a mind wipe, at least on the topic of personal hygiene.

I’m Guilty Too
Sometimes I’m just as bad. Not like THAT! I use soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. But on occasion, I still forget the basics of business. Reminds me of the stories I’ve heard of great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, who is said to have started the first practice of each season teaching freshman players how to put on their socks and tie their shoes to offer the best support. I suspect we all need reminders from time to time. Here are a few I keep learning.

Business Basics
Make the sales calls.
Do the follow up.
Write.

Personal Basics
Have my Quiet Time.
Exercise.
Date Night.

Can you relate? What are the basics you sometimes need to remember? How do you get reminded?