Here’s a stat that should make you pause: over 70% of Australian recruiters and hiring managers will Google a candidate before they even look at the resume properly. Your digital footprint isn’t just background noise — it’s your first impression.

And unlike a handshake or an opening line in an interview, your digital footprint works around the clock. It’s forming impressions at 2am on a Sunday when a hiring manager is scrolling through LinkedIn in bed. You don’t get to control the timing, but you absolutely can control the content.

What Shows Up When Someone Googles You?

Try it right now. Open an incognito browser window and search your full name. What comes up?

For most professionals, the results fall into a few categories:

• LinkedIn profile (usually first or second result)
• Social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook)
• Old articles, forum posts, or comments you may have forgotten about
• Directory listings from previous employers or organisations
• Other people with the same name (which creates its own problems)

If your search results don’t reflect who you are professionally in 2026, you’ve got work to do.

Taking Control of Page One

The good news is that you can influence what appears on the first page of Google results for your name. The strategy is simple: create and maintain high-quality profiles and content that search engines will prioritise over outdated or irrelevant material.

Your portfolio website is your strongest asset. A personal portfolio site with your name in the domain or URL will typically rank highly for your name. It’s the one search result you have complete control over.

LinkedIn is non-negotiable. Make sure your profile is complete, current, and uses your professional name consistently. A strong LinkedIn profile almost always appears in the top three results.

Claim your name on key platforms. Even if you don’t use them actively, register your name on relevant professional platforms in your industry. This prevents others from occupying that space and gives you additional search results you control.

Publish content under your name. Blog posts, articles, conference presentations, podcast appearances — anything that attaches your name to professional content will push less desirable results further down.

Cleaning Up the Mess

Most of us have digital skeletons. That heated Facebook argument from 2019. The Twitter account you used to live-tweet reality TV shows. The forum post from university where you gave questionable career advice.

Here’s the cleanup checklist:

• Audit all social media accounts. Set personal accounts to private if you don’t want employers seeing them. Alternatively, clean up anything that doesn’t align with your professional brand.
• Delete old accounts you don’t use. That Tumblr blog from 2015 isn’t doing you any favours.
• Request removal of outdated content. If old employer pages still list you, ask them to update or remove it. Google also has a content removal request process for certain types of content.
• Separate personal and professional. Use your full professional name for work-related profiles and a variation for personal accounts. This isn’t about being fake — it’s about boundaries.

Building a Positive Digital Presence

Cleaning up is defensive. Building up is where the real value lies.

Share industry content regularly. Even one thoughtful LinkedIn post per week positions you as someone engaged with your field. You don’t need to write essays — a brief take on an industry development is enough.

Contribute to professional communities. Answer questions on industry forums. Comment on articles. Join professional association discussions. Every contribution is a breadcrumb that leads back to you.

Maintain consistency. Use the same professional photo, name format, and bio across all platforms. This consistency helps search engines connect your profiles and helps humans recognise you across different contexts.

Update quarterly. Set a reminder every three months to review your digital presence. Update your portfolio, refresh your LinkedIn, and check your Google results. Small, regular maintenance beats an annual overhaul every time.

The Professional Photo Question

Yes, it matters. Profiles with professional photos get significantly more engagement than those without. You don’t need a studio session — a well-lit headshot taken on a recent smartphone is perfectly fine. Just make sure it’s current, professional, and consistent across platforms.

Start Today

Google yourself. Write down what you find. Then spend an hour making improvements: update your LinkedIn headline, set a personal Facebook to private, publish your portfolio URL somewhere searchable. These small actions compound over time into a digital footprint that opens doors instead of closing them.

Your digital footprint is already out there. The only question is whether you’re managing it or letting it manage your reputation for you.