Google Me This

It was ridiculously easy to figure out who this "Anna" is. I got it on my first google try: search for site:.edu anna frat boys. Then confirm by googling "Anna Rose Vazzano" and seeing that the same first article pops up.

Anna and Kurt, you're obviously not understanding how google works. What Anna needs to do is create other content-rich websites/webpages with her name and link them to each other and have other pages linked to them. Your goal should be to have other pages bump down that offending article to ranks too low for most people to check. Or, you can hire a reputation-cleaning company to do this for you.

Providing people with an opportunity to find you using what you'd prefer them to see is often referred to as "online reputation management." A single profile page from Google is not going to make a big difference for someone who has had a lot of online content associated with their name. But there are steps that can be taken to make the profile more potent to this end. More information on this by PeoplePond CEO, David McInnis, in his blog post about Elastic SEO. http://blog.cranberry.com/2009/04/your-personal-brand-and-elastic-seo/

I'm afraid the author isn't considering how the web and the "Search Engine Optimization" economy works. Search Engine Optimization is the art and science of making websites appear in search results for the purpose of gaining web traffic and usually making money. A Google profile can never enter anywhere into search results, because people who are making and trying to promote websites would use this to self-promote their own company's websites. And since there is now way to verify identity on the web, this would be abused to death almost instantly. Newsweek should take the time to find writers or consultants who are professionals in the field about which they write.

I want to read "Anna's" column on Frat Boys. I can't believe you would tease us by mentioning it on your site, but then not link to them.