Do you know your Google number? Better yet, how big is your Google number?
Your Google number is literally the number of times your name pops up in the Google search results. But, that number has taken on greater significance. To some, it means you are a thought leader, an influential person, an expert—maybe even famous.
Having a high Google number is becoming a matter of competition in some circles. Here's what one writer, Valdis Krebs, has to say about it in an article he wrote in HR.com:
- "We were discussing the current economic climate, when one of the consultants started bragging about a just published book. Soon others were talking about their books. Eventually we were verbally jousting - who amongst us was the most 'well-known' consultant? Being the only consultant present without a book to my name, I had to quickly turn the measuring stick from 'books published' to something else. *** I said, "That's nice, but what's your Google number?" Puzzled looks soon overcame everyone in the room. Google number? What's that? I quickly explained that it was a rough-order measure of your reputation and influence as a thought-leader - it is how much buzz, or word-of-mouth, you have as an expert."
So, how do you interpret your score in Google? Here is what the author has to say:
- "If your Google Number is around...
100 or less - keep your day job and start publishing ....
400 - do a nice web site and publish more
800 - it is probably safe to hang out your shingle
1,000 - you are getting some real attention
2,000 - you are well known in your field
5,000 - you are an often quoted expert in your field - a thought-leader"
And if you are wondering what it takes to be really famous, well Britney Spears has a score of 2,130,000.
Article comments
1 - TDavid
Hmm, my name fluxates between 10,000 and 25,000 in Google. This is a pretty worthless test for someone with a common name like "John Smith"
2 - TDavid
"flucuates" damn lol. Where the hell did I get that spelling from?
3 - Tom Johnson
Well then, I'm REALLY important: my number is 4,630,000. I am, however, number one on my name search.
4 - John Mudd
I'm the top 8 in my name search at Google and have quite a few pages, but I'm not so sure about what my number is. My last name has a much larger number than my full name, being linked to jeans, bands and colleges. Some people put my full name in their keyword section to improve their Google search results, I've noticed.
5 - jadester
strangely, i am also top of my name search. perhaps i should actually start using my personal blog...
6 - Anita Campbell
Great observations. Maybe this "test" should be expanded to add a couple of other alternative tests: (1)having your name be #1 in the Google rankings if you have a common name, or (2) whether others put your name in their keywords to improve their search positions. Other ideas?
7 - emma vartdal
Currently, my google number is 42 :) "emma vartdal"
8 - JR
"Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision that he makes and we should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens." - Famous thought-leader
9 - Mark Scrimshire
Is it considered legitimate to use your aliases, screen names etc. when calculating your google number?
10 - Nirupam Chandra Bera
Mine: 454. too bad...
but, i can make it go upwards...
:):)
11 - skkuumar
good article
thanks for sharing
12 - Norma Frank
You are all far more cool than you realize. I don't even know how one checks one's Google number. About once a year, I google my own name to see if there is anything about me, but it is always about other people with my name, which is just as well. It sounds like getting a decently large Google number takes a bunch of time.