You’ve spent twenty years building your career. You’ve got the experience, the track record, all the credentials, but when someone Googles your name before a meeting, what do they actually find? If the answer is “not much,” you’ve got a problem you probably don’t even realise exists yet.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth-the majority of people Google – or ask AI – about someone before a business meeting. That’s not just recruiters or journalists doing this; it’s potential clients, board members, investors, and the people you’re about to sit across from in a conference room. They’re forming opinions about you before you’ve even shaken hands.
You could be the most accomplished person in your entire field, but if your online presence is virtually non-existent, you’re essentially letting complete strangers fill in the blanks about who you are. The problem is that people tend to fill blanks with doubt, not confidence.
When Silence Becomes Expensive
Consider this scenario: a highly qualified executive gets passed over for a board position, not because of their experience, but because the selection committee couldn’t find enough information about them online. Their competitor had a strong digital presence, including articles, interviews, and speaking engagements. In the end, they won the position despite having less operational experience.
Without an online presence, it means the opportunity quietly goes to someone else, someone who’s taken the time to build a visible online profile. And you’re left wondering what happened.
Compare this situation with leaders who’ve actually invested in their online profiles. Research has found that executives with established thought leadership presence receive significantly more inbound opportunities than their invisible counterparts. Speaking invitations, media requests, board positions, and strategic partnerships increasingly go to people who are findable and credible online.
It’s not about vanity or ego; it’s about career options and influence. When you’re visible, opportunities come to you instead of you having to constantly chase them down.
What Actually Works
The good news is you don’t need to become a social media influencer or start posting motivational quotes at dawn. You just need to be strategically visible. Start with a few well-placed articles, some video interviews on platforms like Intervou, and a speaking engagement or two when it makes sense. This is enough that when someone searches for you on Google or AI, they find substance instead of silence.
Studies show that the vast majority of executives believe an online presence is now essential for senior leadership roles, yet only a fraction feel their own presence is adequate. There’s a significant gap between what people know they should do and what they’re actually doing.
Building Presence Without the Time Commitment
The biggest problem is always time, but the good news is that you don’t have to manage it constantly. Create a few pieces of evergreen content, record some video responses to common industry questions using tools like Intervou, and write the occasional article when inspiration strikes. Let that content work for you whilst you’re doing the actual job you were hired to do.
Ultimately, your online presence is your CV, your cover letter, and your first impression all rolled into one. The only difference is that it’s working 24/7, reaching people you’ll never meet in person, and opening doors you don’t even know exist yet.
The Real Question
When someone Googles your name right now, what story are they finding? Is it the story you want them to find? A LinkedIn profile from 2015 and maybe some minor mention in a press release somewhere?
Because in today’s world, neutrality costs you opportunities you don’t even know you’re missing.
