Learn how to google yourself by searching your name in a signed-out private window, trying several name variations, checking every results tab and logging each URL you find. The log shows what a stranger or employer is likely to see.
If the log turns up content you dislike, how to repair my online reputation sets out the wider process. A self-search also works as a one-off baseline for how to monitor your online reputation over time.
What you need before you start
The task takes one sitting and needs no special tools. The outcome is a written list of what a name search shows, with notes on which results help or hurt your personal branding.
- A browser with private browsing. Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge all offer a private or incognito window. Use it so the search starts without your signed-in account attached.
- Your name variations. Gather your full name, the shorter form you use, any maiden or former name, common misspellings, and the city, employer or school people associate with you.
- A place to log findings. A spreadsheet or a notebook works. The format matters less than recording every result the same way.
- Time to look past the first page. One vendor advises reviewing the first five pages of results, so set aside enough time to do that for your main searches.
The self-search protocol
The steps below move from a clean setup to a complete record. Follow them in order, because the log in the final steps depends on the variations and tabs you cover earlier.
Step 1: Open a clean browser window
Sign out of Google and any other search accounts, then open a private window. A stranger or recruiter has no history tied to your accounts, so this setup gets closer to what they see. Treat it as an approximation, not a perfect copy of anyone else’s screen.
Close other tabs first so you do not click through from pages you already use. If you normally search on a phone, repeat the whole routine there later, since devices and apps can behave differently.
Step 2: Search your plain name first
Type your full name in quotation marks, then run it again without quotation marks. Quotation marks narrow results to that exact name, while the plain version shows looser matches that a casual searcher might also reach.
Note what sits at the top of the search engine results page. Searchers meet these results first, so they matter most. Record whether the top results are yours, belong to someone else, or come from sites you do not control.
If your name is common, expect name collisions. Results about other people with your name are not a problem in themselves, but they can bury results about you or attach someone else’s story to your name. Log them as “not me” so you do not mistake them for your own content later.
Step 3: Try the search variations
One search is rarely enough. People look for you with extra details, so each variation can surface different pages. Work through a planned list and tick each one off.
- Name plus city. This catches local news, directories and community pages.
- Name plus employer or school. This is the combination a hiring manager is most likely to try.
- Name plus job title or profession. It shows how your professional profiles rank.
- Former or alternate names. Include maiden names, nicknames and old spellings, since old accounts can sit under them.
- Usernames and email addresses. Handles you used on forums or games can link back to you.
- Phone number or home address. Run these only if you want to see whether directory sites list them.
Step 4: Scan several pages, not only the first
Most people stop after the first page, yet older or less flattering pages can sit further down. NetReputation recommends the first five pages of results for a self-search. That range is a practical vendor guideline, not a rule from Google.
Apply it to your plain-name search and your best two or three variations. For lesser variations, a quick look at the first page is enough. Skim quickly, noting any result that surprises you, since surprises are the entries that matter most.
Step 5: Check the other results tabs
The default web tab hides content that appears elsewhere. Open the Images, News and Videos tabs for your name and your main variations. Photos of you, news mentions and videos can all shape a first impression even when no web page ranks highly.
On the Images tab, look for old photos from tagged posts, event galleries or profile pictures you no longer use. Note the page each image links to, because the page, not the image, is usually what you would need to address.
Step 6: Compare what your social profiles reveal
Social profiles often rank for personal names. One social media tutor notes that his own activity appears in search because he purposely adjusted his settings, which shows that visibility follows privacy choices. If a profile you meant to keep private appears, a setting is probably allowing it to be found.
The same source advises examining the privacy settings of each social site you use. Do this after the search, not before, so the log records what was visible when you started. Then tighten settings where you want less exposure and rerun the search later to confirm the change.
Step 7: Log every finding
Record each relevant result as you go. NetReputation suggests keeping a record of all URLs as a quick reference point. A consistent format makes the log usable weeks later.
- The URL. Copy the full address, not just the site name.
- The search that found it. Note the exact query and the tab, so you can reproduce the result.
- Where it ranked. Record the page of results, as higher placement means more visibility.
- Whose it is. Mark each entry as yours, someone else’s, or unclear.
- Your judgement. Label it helpful, neutral or harmful, and add a short reason.
Step 8: Repeat on another device and save a dated copy
Finish by repeating your two or three strongest searches on a second device or network, still signed out. Add any differences to the log. Then save the dated log so later searches can show what changed.
What an employer is likely to find
An employer will probably start with your plain name, perhaps with your city or the job title you applied for. The results most likely to matter are professional profiles, social accounts that are publicly visible, and anything old that still ranks.
Self-searches often turn up outdated content, old accounts and past posts. These are easy to forget because you have not looked at them for years. A forum post under an old username or a dormant profile can still represent you to a stranger.
Sort results into three groups. Keep and strengthen what presents you well, such as a professional profile. Tidy what is merely dated, such as an abandoned account. Treat anything inaccurate or harmful as a separate problem, covered in how to remove negative search results about myself.
Judge results by who controls them. Accounts and profiles you own can usually be edited or closed. Pages on other people’s sites depend on that site’s rules and need a different approach. Marking ownership in the log makes this triage fast.
Checkpoint: is the self-search complete?
Use this table before closing the log. If any row is unfinished, return to the matching step rather than drawing conclusions from partial results.
| Checkpoint | What to confirm | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Clean window | Signed out and searching in a private window | Gives the closest view to a stranger’s search |
| Variations | Name with city, employer, title, former names and usernames | Reveals results a plain-name search misses |
| Depth | First five pages reviewed for main searches | Catches older or lower-ranked pages |
| Other tabs | Images, News and Videos opened | Finds content absent from the main list |
| Social visibility | Privacy settings reviewed for each site you use | Explains why profiles appear and what to change |
| Log | Every relevant URL recorded with query, rank and verdict | Becomes your baseline and your action list |
The depth guideline comes from NetReputation’s self-search advice, and the privacy settings point from a social media tutor’s guide to searching yourself.
Common mistakes and when to stop
- Searching while signed in. Results may then reflect your own account rather than a stranger’s view, so redo any signed-in searches in a private window.
- Stopping at the first page. Pages further down can hold the older material an employer may reach.
- Counting other people’s results as yours. With a common name, label unrelated results as such and move on.
- Skipping the log. Without it you cannot tell later whether anything changed.
You can stop when every planned variation and tab has been searched and each relevant URL has a row in the log. Searching endlessly past that point gives diminishing returns. Rerun the routine on a regular schedule, or at the start of a job search, and compare it with your saved copy.
Frequently asked questions
Which search variations should I try?
Start with your full name, then add your city, employer or school, and job title. Include former names, misspellings and old usernames. These cover the combinations a recruiter or acquaintance is most likely to try.
What would an employer likely find about me?
Likely finds include professional profiles, public social accounts and outdated content such as old accounts and past posts. Visibility on social sites depends on your privacy settings, so review them for every site you use.
How should I record what I find?
Keep a list of every URL, as NetReputation advises, and add the query that found it, its page of results, who controls it and whether it helps or harms. A dated copy lets you compare future searches.
Does an incognito search for my own name show exactly what others see?
No. A private window without a signed-in account is a closer approximation than a normal signed-in search, but it is not an exact copy of another person’s results. Repeating the search on a second device adds a useful cross-check.
