Have you checked your privacy settings on Facebook? Well, you should. It turns out that Facebook submits your public profile to search engines like Google. No biggie if you really want to be found by your old friends, but annoying to me. BTW: they don’t submit profiles of minors (phew).
How to remove your profile from Google
- Login to Facebook
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Search
- Uncheck the box “Create a public search listing…”
This might take a month because of Google’s cache feature, but search engines will remove your profile from their index eventually.
Also, while you’re poking around in your privacy settings, go to Settings > Privacy > Profile to adjust the information that strangers see. Be sure to view both of the two tabs Basic and Contact Information. For example, I changed all the drop-down menu choices to Only Friends. That way only people I confirm as a Friend can see my stuff.
Doing this will prevent the “scare” of adding your phone, address, email, photos, etc. to your profile. It’s pretty awesome to be able to go to Facebook to get my friend’s mailing address for holiday cards.
Hey, I don't want this picture. What gives?
5 Comments
Jenn!! I’ve been wanting to know how to get my stupid facebook profile off of google search! Thank you!!!!!!!! I’m so excited I actually understood and could use one of your techie posts. Now, let’s retire.
Now how do I set it up that when I leave a comment here on your site and someone (namely you) responds to it, I get a message saying you responded to my comment?
I always lose track of the conversation….Ah! I just clicked the box below “post comment”. Duh!
You’re so tech savvy! That’s it – the checkbox that reads something like “subscribe to follow-up comments.” I’m logged in so my comment area looks different than yours.
hi, it’s a very interesting post. i understand the point for removing your facebook profile from Google but at the same time more & more ppl want to be listed. but, nevertheless its a good post.
cheers
Right, I know what you mean. Lots of people use Facebook as a way to get more traffic to their sites – just more publicity in general. Profile submissions to search engines are great for creating interest in your other websites, networking, and driving traffic to your business.
I always forget that even though I try to keep my social sites private, other people might want to publicize. Thanks for the comment abakhan!