In the early days of Googling — back before it even became a verb in its own right — I remember people sheepishly admitting to Googling their own names to find out what the Internet “was saying about them.” At the time, the practice seemed vain or paranoid, thus the secrecy.

Today, Googling yourself or your business is commonplace, even advised for people who care about their own or their business’s image. After all, it’s not really the Internet that’s doing the talking; it’s people with strong opinions and plenty of influence, thanks to the Internet.

Here's me and here's my company and here's what comes up when I Google my business category. And yes, I am vested in the fact that RIA should come up first.

Let me give you a good example of why Googling your business is a good idea:  right now, stop reading this and go Google Big Star Chicago.  When you do, you'll see a map and a Google listing — and, when I wrote this, 14 reviews. Take a peak at those reviews and you'll see a train wreck in the making.

Big Star opened recently in the old Pontiac space, so the address is the same.  The thing is, the bathrooms are not.  And that's a good thing.  Google, in its infinite wisdom, pulls information from review sites based on address. And review sites are not up on every opening and closing in the world.  So what you see if you Google Big Star is a bunch of reviews about Pontiac.

And the kind of who woulda thunk it scenarios that come up when you Google your name and see what people looking for you see.