Oh, the ego! That little inner voice that sometimes swells up like a balloon and at other times seems to deflate faster than a sandcastle facing the waves. Who hasn’t given in to the temptation to take a peek at that virtual shop window that is the internet, to see if we’ve turned up anywhere or if anything’s been said about us? Don’t worry, we’re not judging you – we’ve all done it at some point, to the extent that this practice now even has its own name: «egosurfing», which involves searching for your own name on search engines like Google. It would be a bit like spying on your own reflection in a digital mirror, where our ego seeks to be praised or, in some cases, shaken up by reality. But surprise, surprise! Curiosity can sometimes be a bit confusing.
Fancy delving deeper into egosurfing with us? Read on!
We all appear on the internet because we all have a digital footprint
But what exactly is a digital footprint? It is defined as fingerprint all the actions we carry out online that leave a trail of data or personal information – in other words, everything. When we browse different websites the search engine collects information about our needs, interests, desires, shopping habits or lifestyle… when we take part in social media We reveal many aspects of our personal lives to the world, not to mention the images we post on our profiles without a shred of modesty. And, of course, when we shop online or carry out administrative tasks of any kind, we are also leaving a digital footprint that organisations will capitalise on to their advantage. In short: unless you’re an experienced hacker operating in the shadows of the deep web, everything you do online will leave a trace; and that’s why egosurfing is so easy.
The importance of doing a bit of egosurfing every now and then
Beyond simply satisfying our curiosity about what is being said about us online or where we go – and setting aside the more light-hearted side of the matter –, It’s important to do a bit of egosurfing every now and then because it can protect you from some very unpleasant surprises, such as identity theft or the appearance of fake social media profiles created in your name. These two examples are cybercrime and it is important that they are detected early so that they can be reported.
What other benefits are there to egosurfing regularly?
Online reputation management: It allows you to control and monitor the information about yourself that appears online, which can help you correct any errors or misunderstandings and maintain a positive online image.
Privacy settings: By checking what is being said about you online, you can identify unwanted or unauthorised personal information and take steps to protect your privacy.
Tracking professional achievements: It makes it easier to keep track of achievements, mentions or work carried out, which can be useful for professional development or strengthening your personal brand.
Learning and feedback: it allows you to receive feedback or comments about yourself, your posts or projects, which can serve as an opportunity to learn, improve and grow in specific areas.
5 Tools to help you search for yourself online efficiently
If you want to monitor your personal brand image online and your digital reputation, these five tools can help you manage, filter and automate search results.
Google Alerts: It allows you to set up alerts using your name or specific terms so that you receive notifications whenever you are mentioned online. It’s a simple way to monitor your online presence.
Social Mention: This tool scans social media and other websites to find mentions of your name or key terms, providing detailed information about these mentions, including sentiment, reach and more.
BrandYourself: provides a platform for managing and improving your online presence. It enables you to monitor your digital reputation, identify and resolve reputation issues, and optimise your visibility on search engines.
VIP Reputation: It is a paid tool that monitors your online reputation, identifying positive and negative content associated with your name, and providing guidance on how to improve your online presence.
BuzzSumo: If you’re looking to monitor your presence on popular blogs and websites, this tool tracks content shared on social media, showing mentions and shares of articles, blogs or sites that mention your name or brand.
We hope this post has been useful in helping you learn more about how to search for mentions and monitor your online reputation – both your personal and professional reputation, as well as that of any organisation. Subscribe to Educa.Pro and learn more about digital marketing!
