The Online ID Calculator reckons it can assess how distinctive you are on the net. More specifically, how well does Google recognise you? Because, if Google hasn't a clue who you are, you're not going to show up in its search results.
Canny, really. You part with some personal information, answer some questions about the number of valid results that Google returns about you, and hey presto, the calculator shows your position on a graph.
The graph plots volume of results on the y axis against relevance of results on the x axis. There are four quadrants.
High volume + low relevance = Digitally Disastrous
Low volume + low relevance = Digitally Dissed
Low volume + high relevance = Digitally Dabbling
High volume + high relevance = Digitally Distinct
And you get a nice little badge which you can post on your website, if you choose. But I guess only the Digitally Distinct WOULD choose to do that. I mean, would you tell the world you were Digitally Disastrous?
The calculator has been devised by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, who are partners in Reach, an online personal branding club.
While your data may be protected, the terms and conditions suggest that the statistics may be used to devise a personal branding model and could be used as part of a database in the writing of a book on the subject.
Why could the Online ID Calculator be instructive? If you look for yourself on the net, you can bet your bottom dollar that people like recruiters or potential business partners will be looking too.
How do you want your personal brand to come across? What would you want people to find out about you?
I too can now display the little red rectangle. But I did learn something. In my quest to be a world acknowledged expert, I need to focus more on getting a higher volume of relevant results. I'm just a little too near the Digitally Dabbling quadrant for my liking.
