How to Curate a Consistent Web Presence

Along with setting goals for the upcoming year, the first few months of the new year are a great time to review the consistency of your online presence. Keeping your business website and most often used social media profiles updated with current branding and messaging is obvious, but are there corners of the web you've forgotten about?

I recently renewed my membership with the California Writers Club and was surprised to discover my profile in their online directory was way outdated. My bio predated my freelance writing and editing business, and my photo was ancient too! So I contacted the club’s webmaster with a new bio crafted from information on my website’s about page along with my current headshot and asked them to update my profile.

You might have to do a little digging to find all of the places your bio is listed online. First, Google yourself. Social networks you might have forgotten signing up for will surface and publications you or your business contributed content to in the past. Second, think of all the clubs and networks you belong to and check your profile listing on those websites.

It’s unnecessary to have your bio updated everywhere online because people understand that content from years ago becomes dated and so would your bio. But it’s a good idea to be aware of all the places your bio or profile lives online. It makes sense to update profiles on websites you use often and the ones appearing at the top of Google search results.

Keep it simple, use the same bio tweaked slightly to fit various website platform requirements, and don't forget to update your photo too for a consistent web presence.