I was just chatting with a friend when the topic of "Google Me" came up. We joked for a minute, before admitting we had each "Googled" each other.

That made me wonder, what does my searchable profile tell people about me? What content is public? Social Media and search engine marketing (SEO) have changed the "first impression" for most people.

I am often curious before meeting a new business associate or when interviewing for a job, for example. I even Google as a screening effort for potential dates.

So if I am using search to learn about people, I would only assume that others are doing it as well. And why not? The more social media sites out there, the larger a person's digital footprint.

Your digital footprint is kinda like how much real estate you have on the web. Every time you create a profile on a website, that info can be traced and is searchable. That is why there are so many privacy setting options on social sites such as Facebook.

For most businesses and brands, having your info come up in Google search rankings is a good thing. That is why they spend millions of dollars on SEO marketing. If you are an average person, and not a business, you may not realize it but you may have a lot of information about yourself out there. If you are an active social networker or have accomplished many things that have been made public, that can enhance your "personal brand" and help make a great first impression.

Just beware what social sites you make searchable and what information and images you are releasing into the world. Unlike the old PR saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity"...in the modern age, Google doesn't have a delete button, and everything you publish can be found...good, bad, or ugly (pics)!

Social sites that have your information public, such as Google's profile page, LinkedIn, and Twitter make it easy for people to learn a lot about you even before they meet you in real life. You might be surprised what websites are storing your information. Go ahead, you know you want to...Google yourself! If you are curious, Google me, too!