Ah, the ego! That little inner voice that sometimes inflates like a balloon and other times deflates faster than a sandcastle facing the waves. Who hasn’t fallen into the temptation of checking that virtual shop window called the internet to see if we appear somewhere or if someone has mentioned us? Don’t worry — no judgment here — we’ve all done it at some point. In fact, this practice already has its own name: "egosurfing," which consists of searching for your own name on search engines like Google. It’s like spying on your own reflection in a digital mirror, where our ego seeks praise or, in some cases, a harsh dose of reality. But surprise! Curiosity can sometimes be a bit confusing.
Are you ready to dig deeper with us into the world of egosurfing? Keep reading!
But what exactly is a digital footprint? A digital footprint is defined as all the actions we take online that leave a trace of data or personal information — basically, anything. When we browse different websites, the search engine collects information about our needs, interests, desires, shopping habits, or lifestyle. When we engage on social media, we expose many aspects of our personal lives to the world — not to mention the countless photos and videos we upload without hesitation. And, of course, when we make online purchases or perform any type of administrative process, we’re also leaving a digital footprint that organizations will use to their advantage. In short: unless you’re an experienced hacker who operates in the shadows of the deep web, everything you do online leaves a trace — and that’s why egosurfing is so easy.
Beyond simply satisfying curiosity about what’s being said about us online or where we appear — and setting aside the humorous side of it — doing egosurfing occasionally is important because it can help prevent very unpleasant surprises, such as identity theft or the creation of fake social media profiles using your image. These two examples are cybercrimes, and it’s important to detect them early in order to report them.
Online reputation management: It allows you to monitor and control the information that appears about you on the internet, helping correct possible mistakes or misunderstandings and maintain a positive online image.
Privacy control: By reviewing what’s said about you online, you can identify unwanted or unauthorized personal information and take steps to protect your privacy.
Tracking professional achievements: It helps you keep track of your accomplishments, mentions, or published work, which can be useful for professional promotion or strengthening your personal brand.
Learning and feedback: It allows you to receive responses or comments about yourself, your publications, or your projects, serving as an opportunity to learn, improve, and grow in specific areas.
If your goal is to monitor your personal brand and online reputation, these five tools can help you control, filter, and automate search results.
Google Alerts: Allows you to set up alerts with your name or specific terms to receive notifications when they appear online. It’s a simple way to monitor your internet presence.
Social Mention: This tool scans social media and other websites to find mentions of your name or keywords, providing detailed information about them, including sentiment, reach, and more.
BrandYourself: Offers a platform to manage and improve your online presence. It lets you monitor your digital reputation, detect and resolve reputation issues, and optimize your visibility on search engines.
Reputación VIP: A paid tool that tracks your online reputation, identifying positive and negative content associated with your name and offering guidance to improve your online presence.
BuzzSumo: If you want to monitor your presence on blogs and popular websites, this tool tracks shared content across social media, showing mentions and shares of articles, blogs, or sites that reference your name or brand.
We hope this post has helped you understand more about how to find mentions and monitor online reputation — whether your own, your professional one, or your organization’s. Subscribe to Educa.Pro and learn more about digital marketing!
.jpg)