But if you Google "Scott Burkett," eight of the top 10 results, and most of the next 20, point to the 38-year-old chief executive of PlayMotion, a small video-game company.

That's no coincidence. Over the past decade, video-game Scott has carefully nurtured his digital dossier. Why bother?

"Everyone is going to see this stuff," says Burkett. "It's not just customers and investors who look you up. It's everyone."

Including the person who may find you your next job. According to ExecuNet, a career-networking company for executives, more than 80% of recruiters use Google to uncover information on candidates.

While you can't completely control what appears under your name on search engines, it's not that hard to burnish your digital brand.

Start a Weblog

Blogging can quickly shoot your name from obscurity to the top of search indexes, says Robyn Greenspan, senior editor at ExecuNet. Try to update it at least three times a week and use keywords that you think searchers are likely to look for.

An aeronautical engineer might naturally use words like "aviation" and "altitude" in his blog, for example.

Blogger.com is a commonly used (and free) place to get started. The site will guide you every step of the way. You'll also want to set up a social-networking profile.

Buy your domain

Purchase your first and last name as a Web address. Even if you don't plan to set up a Web site now, it's a good idea to park it - GoDaddy.com will let you reserve a dotcom name for $9.99 a year. Don't let someone beat you to it. Buying on the secondary market can be expensive.

If your name is common, try variations like "Firstname-Lastname.com" or your name followed by your profession.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International.   Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.