The following is from Google’s page Manage your online reputation:

Nowadays, more and more personal information surfaces on the web. For example, some of your friends might mention your name in a social network or tag you on online photos, or your name could appear in blog posts or articles.

Google search is often the first place people look for information that’s published about you. Here are a few ways to manage your online reputation and help control what people see when they search for you on Google:

1. Search for yourself

Search for your name on Google to see what information about you comes up.

2. Create a Google profile

With a Google profile, you can manage the information–such as your bio, contact details, and other information about you–that people see. You can also link to other sites about you or created by you. For example, you can link to your blog, online photos in Picasa, and other profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

3. Remove unwanted content and the associated search results

If you find content online–say, your telephone number or an embarrassing photo of you–that you don’t want to appear online, first determine whether you or someone else controls the content. For example, if the photo you want to hide is part of your Picasa account, you can simply change your photo visibility settings. If, however, the unwanted content resides on a site or page you don’t control, you can follow our tips on removing personal information from the web and removing a page from Google’s search results.

4. Get notified when your personal data appears on the web

You might want to get notified if new information about you–like your name or email address–gets published online. The Me on the Web feature of your Google Dashboard can help you keep an eye on what’s out there about you.