Your online persona is a lot like your credit score. It's already out there whether you check it or not. And other people–important people who make decisions about your future–can review it at any time.

The similarities don't end there. Like your credit score, you can review your online persona and work to improve it…so when people like potential employers look at it, they'll see what you want them to see.

And, trust us, they will look at it.

They're not necessarily looking for negative news or skeletons in your closet. In most cases, managers and human resource employees do Internet searches on their top pool of candidates to confirm credentials and determine why each person would be a good candidate for the position.

Just because they're not looking for dirt, though, doesn't mean they'll ignore it if they find it. The fact is, a negative online persona can get you knocked off an employer's list.

Fortunately, managing your online persona is easier than you may think. The tips below can help you take steps to not only review your online persona, but also take steps to make sure it reflects the experience and credentials you want it to.

Step One: Evaluate Your Online Persona

In order to know what your online persona looks like, you have to actually check it. So start by opening your web browser to a search website such as Google.com, Yahoo.com, Ask.com, AltaVista.com, Lycos.com, or Microsoft's new Bing.com. Then simply type in your name and hit search. Scan through the first two or three pages to see what items are coming up most often, and make note of any negative news that you'd like to get removed.

You can also do more specific searches. For example, you can type your name in quotes along with your email address, the name of your college, your job title, a hobby, or even other people's names. For example, you could type "your name + friend's name" or "your name + college name." You may be surprised what you find with some of these specific searches.

Once you've searched your name on one site, open another and do the same thing. You'll probably find a number of similarities, so you only need to check a few different sites to get an idea of what the Internet says about you.

Remember to take specific notes about false or unflattering information. You'll want to write down what it is, where it appears, and why it shouldn't be there.

Finally, don't forget to search for videos and images! After all, one of your friends may have posted photos from that college party on their website and tagged you in the photo without you realizing it. You can use the same sites listed above–only this time, click the video or image search button before you search for your name. Once again, take careful notes about videos or images that cast you in a negative light.

Step Two: Remove Anything Negative

Like your credit score, if you find information on the Internet that is inaccurate or inappropriate, your first step should be to try to get it removed.

This is where those diligent notes from step one will come in handy.

First, if you found something unflattering that you actually posted in the past, remove it yourself. For example, if you posted pictures or stories on an old blog, go back and remove them.

In addition, take the time to go through any websites or social networking sites where you control the information. Maybe you have a blog, website, or social networking site that features pictures and text that you post. Go back through the information to make sure you still want people to see or read it. If not, remove it immediately…even if it didn't show up in the search you conducted.

Second, if you found information on other websites that you think should be removed, contact them right away. Start with the websites that have the worst (most egregious or most inaccurate) information. Using a polite but firm tone, explain what content you found on their site, why it's a problem, and then specifically ask them to remove that information from their site. Be as specific as possible. If the information is false, say that. If the information is private and used without permission, say that. You may even want to include a link in your email or letter to make sure they can quickly find the problematic information that you're asking them to remove.

Third, take a serious look at your usernames and email address. Often, websites and email accounts include your full name in the contact information along with your username. That can be bad for your image if you use an inappropriate nickname or double entendre as your email address or username. If that's the case, change it or delete the account and start a new, more professional one.

Finally, remember to follow up. After you've removed the information yourself or requested a site to take something down, go back to make sure it's gone. It's also a good idea to do regular searches (even specific searches using your name in quotes along with a word or two describing the content that you wanted removed). Do this a week after requesting removal of the information and then again a month later.

Step Three: Build Your Brand

Managing your online persona isn't just about getting things removed from the Internet; it's about using the Internet to build your brand.

That means changing your frame of mind from worrying about what people might see to taking a proactive role in determining what they will see.

Here are just a few simple ways you can take control of your online image by building your brand on the Internet:

Create a Profile:

One of the easiest ways to make sure positive attributes, qualifications and accomplishments stand out on the Internet is to create a profile that features those aspects. In fact, create profiles on multiple sites like ZoomInfo.com, Xing.com, and Ziggs.com. These profiles only take a matter of minutes to create and they help boost positive information about you higher in an Internet search.

One of the best profiles to start with is a Google profile. Once you create a Google profile, your name, occupation, location and a photo (if you upload one) will appear on the first page of a Google's search results for your name. When someone clicks to view your full profile, they'll see the information you input–which can include a list of employers, places you've lived, other sites you use (such as a blog or social networking page) and even a short bio that describes your experience, skills, and interests. Once you have all this information down, you can use it to quickly create profiles on other sites.

Finally, since many employers are actually searching the Internet to verify your qualifications and experience, consider setting up an account on a website for freelancers or contract employees, such as Guru.com.

Remember, there are a number of similar profile sites. You don't have to join them all, but joining a few and putting in relevant, important information about yourself can really help boost your online persona.

Participate in Social Networking:

You've no doubt heard about popular social networking sites like Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and LinkedIn.com, as well as micro-blogging sites like Twitter.com and online photos sites like Flickr.com.

These sites offer you fun, interactive ways to connect with friends, family, and peers. In addition, they are great for improving your online persona because they often climb near the top of searches.

That said, there are few things to keep in mind.

First, notice this tip says "participate in social networking" not just "join." The more information you include in your profile and the more you participate, the more useful these sites will be in building your brand.

Second, when you do participate make sure it's relevant. Your status updates don't have to be all business and no play; it's okay to have a balance of your personal and professional life on these sites. But make sure that you keep it appropriate. That means keeping slang to a minimum, and avoiding inappropriate words, humor, photos or stories. It also means that you should write occasional posts about a professional conference you've attended or project you've finished.

Also, make sure you join groups or communities on these sites that reflect your professional aspirations and the positive image you're trying to portray. Before joining any group, ask yourself if you'd feel comfortable discussing your membership in the online group with your grandmother or during a job interview with a potential employer.

Finally, make sure you take advantage of other online communities besides these sites. Becoming active in a discussion thread or chat room hosted by a professional organization can be a powerful way to improve your online persona. Not only will your peers and potential employers get to know you on those sites, but your posts will often find their way into your search results.

Start a Blog or Website:

One of the most productive ways to control your online persona is to create new content on a blog or website that highlights or reflects your expertise.

A blog or website not only gives you the space necessary to write about your areas of expertise, but they also rank high in Internet searches if the content is updated regularly.

While this step may seem a bit overwhelming at first, a number of providers such as Wordpress.com or Blogger.com make it fast and convenient. You don't need to know how to program html or JavaScript. They do all the work for you. All you have to do is sign-in and post.

So what should you post?

The obvious answer is to make sure you post appropriate information. It's okay to have multiple blogs or sites–for example, one about your family for friends to read and one about your professional experience for peers and potential employers to read. But make sure the content on both sites is appropriate because there's no way to stop a potential employer from seeing your family site.

If you're stuck wondering what to write about, use your imagination. You don't have to write a white paper in every post. Maybe you want to post your thoughts about the top three things you learned at a professional conference and include a link to the conference website. Maybe you just received an award or professional certification… write about that and put a link to the site that awarded it. Or maybe you have ideas about the best way to write a report. As long as you're not divulging trade secrets, write about what you do, what you know, and what your job growth goals are for the future.

You may even want to take an additional step to purchase and use a domain name that's as close as possible to your name. That will solidify your professionalism and help eliminate any confusion about who you are and what you do.

Remember, the website or blog is a reflection of you…of your brand. So make sure it's clean, organized, professional looking, and that each post is error free and edited.

Maximize Your Web Presence by Interlinking Your Sites:

Once you've created a few online profiles, started participating in social network sites, and developed a quality blog with a few posts, it's time to make sure people notice. That means promoting each of these sites in other sites by linking to them.

So, on your Facebook page, you should include links to your Twitter account and your blog or website. On your blog or website, create a Contact Information page that includes links to your online profiles, Facebook page, Twitter account, and so on. On your profile pages, include links to your blog and social networking sites.

It sounds a bit repetitive, if not overkill. But it's not. It's important. Why? The simple reason is that links are factored into Internet searches.

When someone does a search of your name on the Internet, the sites that typically rank the highest have the most sites linking to them.

That means, the more sites that link to your blog, the better chance you have of it hitting the first page of search results. And that's the ultimate goal here…getting the positive information that you create to rise to the top, so people see the online persona that you've strategically developed and that you want them to see.

Therefore, make sure you have as many sites and profiles cross-referencing each other as you can. And keep adding fresh content and information updates regularly.

Relax – One Step at a Time is Fine

This article has given you a number of easy-to-follow simple steps to improve your online persona. But even then, this can seem like a daunting task.

The trick is, don't let it be. Take it one step at a time.

Start by simply evaluating what's out there and working to remove any negative pictures or information. That alone will be helpful. Then, as you have time, follow the steps for creating a new, more professional persona using profiles, social networking sites, and a blog or website.

In no time, you'll start seeing those positive, professional websites rise to the top of Internet searches. And you'll take comfort in knowing that those are the same sites that potential employers see when they take a closer look at you on the Internet.