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As a follow up to my last post “9 Great Online Credibility Builders,” I felt it was important to point out the flipside: credibility killers.  In many ways credibility killers are even more important because it only takes being guilty of one cred killer and all your hard earned credibility could be out the window.

So, let’s begin:

 1.)  Poor LinkedIn Profile:  When checking out a person’s professional background and cred online, LinkedIn is often the first stop for me. It amazes me how little effort some people invest in it. To have good cred your profile has to present you in the best possible light. That means in needs to be filled out completely and accurately.

Many folks simply don’t know about all the bells and whistles (like videos, Slideshares, etc.) that they can use to spice up a profile. It also helps to have more than one or two testimonials. Need more? Then try giving more. And please, make sure your information is accurate, grammatically correct, and devoid of typos.

2.)  Bad Website:  When I say a “bad website” I mean a website that’s unprofessional. That means broken links, bad grammar, a lack of design, etc. One of the worst things you can do is point out the fact that you don’t have your act together with a lame, “Sorry, our new site is under construction. Come back soon.”

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Whatever your business, product, or service, credibility is key. It’s also true with your personal reputation. On that note, the information that appears, or doesn’t appear, whenever your name is searched on the Internet is a litmus test of your personal and professional credibility. It’s called G-cred.

To help with that G-cred, here are 9 things you can do:

1.) A maxed-out LinkedIn profile: Lots of folks have a LinkedIn profile, but few have a LinkedIn profile that’s fully completed for maximum impact. Is yours?

• Don’t just have a short job title, tell folks as much as possible in that title space. The more key words, the better.
• Have a bunch of recommendations? No? Then here’s a tip: If you want more recommendations, try giving some.
• Be sure you include all your website links and a Twitter feed.
• Is your profile Summary awesome? Is it filled with juicy keywords?
• Got videos or SlideShare presentations? Add them with the SlideShare app.
• If you want you can even display your reading list.
• Lastly, be sure your latest blog posts and Tweets are being displayed in your LinkedIn update feed.

A LinkedIn profile is usually one of the first things that comes up in an Internet search. Be sure you have a great one.

2.) A blog: It’s easier than ever to create a blog. Not only will it help with G-cred, it’ll help position you and your business as a leader in your field.

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Considering that the phrase appears 32.9 million times on the Web (I just Googled it) chances are you’ve heard it. But, do you know what it really means?

It came from an ’06 Bill Gates article predicting that the big bucks on the Internet would be generated from information and entertainment “content.” In essence he was saying that while technology is a great tool, great content is what’s most important.

Though it applies to web content like blog posts, videos, tweets, etc, the concept of “content is King” is not limited to the web. (more…)