With so much information online about people and companies it’s become quite common to simply “Google” someone when you want to know more about them. From a business building standpoint it’s good practice to own as much of the real estate that pops up under you name on page one as you can.

Social media profiles, like those on Facebook or LinkedIn are great candidates for just such a practice. Google, however, has started playing around with a new tool called profiles and this last week made it very public. Anyone who can create an account on Google and verify their real name through a screening routine can now have a personal profile page on Google.

The page editor allows you to upload images, link to multiple websites, and create a rich text bio. There’s even a way for people to click on a link to contact you directly. Not really sure how Google treats those links, but seems like a nice place to have linking to your site. Here’s the link to my profile as an example

But, here’s the real kicker. Once you’ve been verified your profile it may begin to show up at the bottom of page one, complete with image, when someone Google’s you. (See image below) With this prime location, I’m thinking now is the time to get that profile completed and full of great information. Click here to Google me, scroll to the bottom of the page and see for yourself.

Visit Google Profiles to set your profile page up.

So, is this all part of Google’s grand plan to build a new social networking site without even trying?

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