Search engines provide endless opportunities for ego surfing, Google bombing (influencing traffic so it spikes a particular site) and Google juicing (enhancing one’s “brand” in the era of micro-celebrity). Overshare and follow yourself too closely: Google narcissist.

But Googling people is also becoming a way for bosses and headhunters to do continuous and stealthy background checks on employees, no disclosure required.

How to take control? Start a blog and put your name on it.

You should expect modest results from your blog—an estimate that the average blog has one reader is “probably generous,” says Derek Gordon, a vice president at Technorati—but the 12 million Americans who blog don’t seem to care.

After you’ve polished your thoughts in a slick looking blog, don’t mess it up with a silly Web address like http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/ Instead, get a vanity address that expresses the nature of your blog, like: www.SoBabyBoomer.com. It’s never been easier or cheaper to get an Internet domain name, the .com or .net address that you type into a browser to find a website. For as little as $9 a year, you can make it easy to land your own address and point it to your blog. You can also use the domain as a permanent email address, with the mail sent automatically to any mailbox you choose.

Here are some tips to clean up your digital dirt:

1. Register with a free online profile manager such as LinkedIn.

2. If you must MySpace, refrain from posting the risque; consider cloaking or using an avatar.

3. Order a background check and then contact vendors if you find incorrect information.

4. Think before you blog. Anything personal that you post may come back to haunt you.

5. Fight fire with fire: Drive traffic with your own blog or by hiring a search-engine optimization outfit.