How many times have you Googled yourself? Come on, be honest. On one hand, I find it interesting how many women have the same name as me and how well they’ve done for themselves. On the other hand, why am I not coming up? Granted I haven’t been published (yet), but I have this great blog. That should count for something.

Last week I learned two very important things about Google searches I’d like to share.

1) When you use quotation marks around your search criteria you get a more defined search. For instance, if I Google Wendy Marcus I may come up with Wendy Smith and Marcus Reid. If I Google “Wendy Marcus” I come up with Wendy Marcus’s…dozens of them.

2) Generally, you have to submit your site to the search engines. Here are some links:
For Google: http://www.google.com/addurl/
For Yahoo: http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit
For Bing: http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx

I added my link to all three of the above sites and now when I Google “Wendy Marcus” there I am, Must Have Romance, right smack in the center of the first page.

Did you know this already? If not, did you try it? Can you now find yourself in a Google search? If not, what interesting things come up when you Google your name?