What is the best way to find out who is Googling you
What is the best way to find out who is Googling you?
Many of us have wondered, "Can you see who is searching for you on Google?" at some point in our lives. If this is a question that has been bothering you as well, we have some answers for you, though they may not be the ones you were hoping to hear.
In this section, we'll look at whether or not you can track down who is searching for you on Google and how they are doing so.
Is It Possible to Tell If Someone Is Googleing You?
Unfortunately, there is no feature on Google that will notify you when someone searches for you by name, which is a frustrating reality.
The past few years have seen the rise of websites such as Ziggs, which claim to be able to reveal who has been searching for you on the internet. However, companies such as these are quickly becoming obsolete. Stay away from any app or service that claims to be able to show you this information. This is especially true if they are charging you for their services.
However, there are a couple of indirect methods of detecting anyone who is looking you up. To make an attempt to identify these individuals from a distance, you can look for any paper trail that they may have left behind on social media or through the use of blogs.
You can also set up a Google Alert for your name, though your results may vary if you are not a well-known public figure or extraordinarily popular in your field. Google Analytics can also provide you with information on the keywords that are bringing people to your site, which may be useful for gaining additional insight.
Methods for attempting to determine who is searching for you on the internet
While there is no way to directly inquire of Google as to whether or not someone has googled your name, there are a few methods by which you can infer who is searching for you.
1. Determine who is searching for you on social media sites
Searching for yourself on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter may reveal places where you've been mentioned. If you cast a wide enough net, you might just come across something interesting.
You will, of course, be notified if someone mentions you using your handle or provides a link to your profile on the internet. Unless you're a well-known figure, it's unlikely that you'll come across many public mentions of yourself on social media.
Another type of social media site, such as LinkedIn, will occasionally notify you when someone has viewed your profile, which is arguably more valuable than simply knowing who has searched for your name on Google. Unless you pay for a premium LinkedIn account, the majority of these viewers will remain anonymous on your page.
2. Use Google Alerts to find out who is searching for you on the internet
The Google Alerts feature, which is available through the company, is a clever way to figure out who is searching for you on the internet. You will not be notified when someone searches for your name on Google, but you will be notified whenever your name is mentioned on any website, including social media platforms.
To get started, go to Google Alerts and create an account. Fill in the blanks with your name in quotes in the text field.
If your name is common, or if it is shared with a celebrity or other notable figure, you can qualify your keyphrase with the same AND/OR/+/- qualifiers that you would use in a standard Google search to make it more specific. You can specify your profession or some other identifier that will help you narrow down your search.
You'll be presented with a list of mentions in the Google style. Make the selection Create Alert to save the alert and to be notified when something on the internet triggers the alert.
You can also select from a number of other options by selecting Show Options from the menu. You can specify that you only want to be notified when a news outlet mentions you, for example, or that you only want to see results that come from a specific region or are in your native language, among other options. There's also the option to see All Results or Only the Best Results, depending on your preferences.
3. Use Google Analytics to find out who is searching for you on the internet
Google Analytics is a tool that you can use to find out which keywords are driving the most traffic to your website if you have your own website and have access to Google's suite of webmaster tools. The name of the person in charge will almost certainly be one of the elements of many different types of websites.
To get started, go to Google Analytics and sign up for a free account that is linked to your website. The Google Tracking ID can be added to your website from the Admin menu, which will provide you with access to any and all information received through your website's visitor tracking system. If any of these visitors found you by Googling your name specifically, you'll be the first to know about it because you'll be the first to know.
There are some limitations to this method, as you will only be able to see the results if people search for you and end up on your website. However, it can at the very least provide you with some insight into how frequently you are Googled.
Verdict
The fact that Google's internal workings are impenetrable and secure is something that we all need to accept as fact. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that anyone will ever be able to figure out who has been searching for you on Google.
