PeekYou Education Series: How Do I Increase My PeekScore?
This blog entry here is the first installment of our PeekYou Education Series, devised to help our users better understand how information is found by search engines such as PeekYou.com, and also how an individual can control the size of their online identity. In this post, we will discuss the PeekScore and tell you how you can increase yours.

What is PeekScore?
PeekScore is a number from one to ten which quantifies the size of an individual’s current online life, and measures the breadth and scope of his or her digital footprint (or, the lasting mark he or she has left on the public web). With PeekScore, PeekYou aims to answer the question “who has the largest online presence?” A number of the facets of an individual’s online life are factored in when calculating his or her PeekScore, such as whether or not the individual in question owns a personal or business web domain, the number of social networks to which he or she belongs and the number of friends or followers on those networks, the ratio of Twitter followers to the number of people being followed, the amount of content being produced both via social media and personal websites and/or blogs, the number of press and news articles which make mention of the individual in question as well as the scope and reach of the media outlets and/or blogs behind the coverage, and so forth. All of these factors contribute to an individual’s unique score, which can fluctuate up or down depending on how much public information a search engine, such as PeekYou, can find at a given time.

Why does PeekScore matter?
PeekScore provides a way to gauge, at a glance, an individual’s level of digital prominence. This simple metric can quickly tell you, with real accuracy, how large or small an individual’s digital footprint is. While some prominent media figures and celebrities carry a healthy PeekScore even without directly contributing much to their digital footprints (just due to the sheer amount of media coverage they receive), for the vast majority of individuals the size of their PeekScore is almost entirely within their own control.

One real incentive for increasing one’s PeekScore, and leaving a bigger footprint in the digital realm, is the inherent value in asserting an individual identity, and standing out from the ever increasing pack in cyberspace. The same advantage there is to distinguishing oneself in day to day life translates to the online realm as well, particularly as the two become more and more integrated as the years pass. On the web, the identities from which to be distinguished are more obscure and easily confused with one another than they are offline, so the value for many of clearly announcing “this is me” can be considerable. For example, if someone looks for you on a public web search engine such as PeekYou – particularly if your name is a relatively common one (and it doesn’t have to necessarily be all that common, either) – your facts, figures, thoughts, accomplishments, interests, and foibles could potentially be confused with those of another who shares your name. One might easily see how this could be undesirable.

A well defined and unambiguous online presence can eliminate unwanted confusion in many ways, and it can provide you a bit more control over how you’re perceived, not just in the eyes of your ex from junior high school, but also perhaps a potential employer, or a potential customer, or a long lost relative, or an old friend by whom you would actually like to be reached.

For individuals who wish to have a diminished or more obscure online presence, the converse is also true, and the PeekScore is still a relevant metric. Those who choose to retain a level of anonymity online, and maintain strict controls over what they share on the web, will find their PeekScore small or quickly shrinking.

I Want a Higher PeekScore!
Increasing one’s PeekScore is rather simple. The more content you share and provide online, the higher your PeekScore. Below is a condensed list of a few different ways you can increase your PeekScore:

Start a public blog and update it with new posts frequently. Creating an online presence is only the start, you have to maintain it as well.

Be open and active on social networks, as a public social media presence will impact your PeekScore positively and directly.

Own a domain, either personal or business-related.

Maintain a few social network accounts. The more accounts you are active on, the higher your score.

When doing any and all of the above, always be mindful of what you are sharing and who can see it. Make sure you are comfortable with your privacy settings on your various social media accounts, and remember that the “public web” means just that; it’s public. Having a robust PeekScore, and leaving a big digital footprint, needn’t be synonymous with being exposed to the point of discomfort. There are numerous advantages to existing prominently online, and being easily searchable, but remember that you have say over what those searches will ultimately show.

We hope you will use your own PeekScore as a tool for showing off your digital presence and online prominence. Look for more updates over the next few months as we continue to evolve our PeekScore product.

Sincerely,
The PeekYou.com Team
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