Google profiles: Seriously? Another profile to fill out? Yes. Here's why and how.

Google is upping the ante on Google Profiles, and for most professionals, it's time to fill one out:

Beginning today Google search queries for names will now feature a section dedicated to Google Profile results at the bottom of every page. These profiles allow people to fill out their basic information, like current employer and links to various web presences, without having to maintain a personal website and try to struggle to maintain a high page-rank.

This is huge news for several reasons. For one, Google is beginning to encroach on a territory long dominated by LinkedIn.

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Google Profiles may not have LinkedIn’s social graph, but as a web directory they’ll work just fine, and they’ll have the benefit of appearing on the front page of search results every time.

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Google is allocating four thumbnail spots to these profiles at the bottom of search results - anyone who doesn’t appear in those four spots can be found by clicking a link to show more results.

For a lot of professionals -- those in sales, consulting, small businesspeople, really any job where making or maintaining connections is important -- you want to be easily found via Google. Now, Google is putting four profile results on the first page of every name search. It doesn't get much easier than that, so get your profile together and give yourself a shot at making that first set of results.

Getting started

If you don't have a Google account, you'll need one. Sign up here. Then you're ready to hit the profile page.

From there, fill out as much of your profile as you can -- the more the better, as a detailed profile is likely to help the mysterious Google algorithm push you to the top. You have the option to fill out:

A short bio
Interests
Where you live today / other places you've lived
Current employer and other companies you've worked for
Links to your other profiles - Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, your blog, etc.
Schools you've attended
Other companies you worked for
Your superpower
Something you can't find on Google

Be sure to check off "Display my full name so I can be found in search" and the option to be contacted without displaying your email so people can reach out to you.

And upload a photo. What was maybe a little vain and weird a few years ago just no longer is. Photos on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook blogs, etc. are the expectation now. So just do it. We're human, we want to put faces with names.

Google may be planning something much bigger with their profiles. These may segue into a new social platform to take on Facebook and LinkedIn. The company has said little about its future plans for Profiles.

But if even if Google never does any more with Profiles, it's still important to get onboard and fill yours out. Your Google Profile can serve as an easily discoverable social hub - an easy place for others to find you, quickly learn more about you and then connect with you on the other platforms you participate in. So be sure to link to all those other profiles listed on the other social platforms you use and take advantage of this tool to make and maintain connections.

Additional links:

EDIT: Added to the list of information you can build into your profile.