Recently, I tried verifying a few job candidates and was reminded how difficult it is to trace someone’s digital presence through a simple name search.
While it may seem like a logical step in the age of digital transparency, the process is anything but straightforward.
I had always known this was a challenge, but at a professional level, one would expect that if a candidate has a LinkedIn account or public work, it should be clear from the first page of a search engine result page (SERP). That assumption proved wrong.
The issue? Nominal identity similarities. Many people share the same names. So, typing a candidate’s name into a search engine often leads to confusion, especially when multiple individuals with that name are active online.
Why Nominal Similarities Matter
Take the example of someone named Chukwuma Adekunle. It’s highly likely that at least 20 others in Nigeria share that name. If it were an English name like John Smith, you could be dealing with hundreds globally. Now, if Chukwuma Adekunle applies for a job and you try to research him, your search may return several profiles bearing the same name.
What’s worse? The person with the strongest digital footprint dominates the first page of the SERP. If one of the Chukwuma Adekunles happens to be a celebrity or public figure with a Wikipedia page and numerous press mentions, the internet prioritizes them, burying the job applicant on page two or three – if they appear at all. In a fast-paced hiring environment, few recruiters go that far.
The Rise of Digital Brand Identity
In 2025, about 68.7% of the world’s population, roughly 5.64 billion people, have access to the internet. One day soon, that number may reach 100%, and with it, the number of people building digital footprints will skyrocket. The result? The challenge of similar nominal identities will become more complex.
In the digital world, your name isn’t just an identifier; it’s a brand asset. Unlike the physical world, where your identity includes your physical presence and documentation, in the digital realm, your identity is tied to your name, image, and thoughts. Standing out in that universe will require more than just being present; it will demand strategy.
Unfortunately, the investment required won’t just be financial, it’ll be an investment in time and the quality of your digital output. To rise above others with the same name, you must populate the web with quality content, your thoughts, your work, and your story. You must be intentional about shaping how your nominal identity is perceived.
AI Summaries as The New Gatekeepers
We’re already getting glimpses of this future. Platforms like LinkedIn have become homes for thought leadership. Search engines now show AI-generated summaries about individuals. When I searched my name, Jonah Nwokpoku, I was pleasantly surprised to find a summarized profile generated by AI. I’m not a celebrity by any stretch, but I’ve published over 1,000 articles online. That digital activity probably helped train the AI.
But what happens to the other Jonah Nwokpokus out there who haven’t built a footprint? The AI doesn’t see them. In the coming years, I suspect AI will gain the ability to generate multiple identity summaries for people with similar names. However, those without a strong digital presence might not show up at all.
And that’s the critical point: AI will soon become the curator of your identity. Those with more searchable, thoughtful, and consistent content will rise to the top, while others will remain invisible.
Visibility as a Digital Asset
The implications are profound. Businesses will emerge whose core mission is helping individuals distinguish themselves online, ensuring that your name means you. They’ll help people manage not just personal branding but identity clarity.
We’re nearing a world where not having a digital identity may be the same as not existing at all. Your name is no longer just a label. It’s a signal, a search term, a filter, and increasingly, a brand.
Conclusion
As more of our professional and social lives shift online, nominal identity will become more than a label, it will be a digital asset. And like all valuable assets, it must be nurtured, maintained, and strategically leveraged. In the coming years, we’ll likely see a rise in services, platforms, and even career paths dedicated to helping individuals distinguish themselves among a sea of namesakes.
Whether through thought leadership, curated content, or digital storytelling, the only way to truly “exist” online will be to claim your name and shape what the world sees when they search it.
In the end, the question may no longer be “Who are you?” but “What shows up when your name is searched?”
About the author
Jonah Nwokpoku is the co-founder of SquirrelPR, a PR management platform connecting organizations with Africa’s most credible newsrooms. He is a seasoned public relations professional with a proven track record of delivering successful communication strategies for finance and technology-driven businesses across Africa.
Reading this article speaks to my condition deeply. Thank you for this write up. I would love to have a keen attention to LinkedIn with a view to improve or building a digital profile of mine there.