Reputation Management

Who you are online is as important as who you are offline.

By nearly all measures, the Internet is a boon to the way we all live. But the transparency of the Internet has also produced a seriously problematic, albeit unintended, effect: the Internet threatens to invade almost everyone's privacy. It affects almost everyone's reputation. Online content about even the most casual Internet users can be harmful, hurtful, or even plain false.

Search Engine Reputation Management (or SERM) tactics are often employed by companies and increasingly by individuals who seek to proactively shield their brands or reputations from damaging content brought to light through search engine queries. Some use these same tactics reactively, in attempts to minimize damage inflicted by inflammatory (or "flame") websites (and weblogs) launched by consumers and, as some believe, competitors.

Given the increasing popularity and development of search engines, these tactics have become more important than ever. Consumer generated media (like blogs) has amplified the public's voice, making points of view - good or bad - easily expressed.

Search Engine Reputation Management strategies include Search engine optimization (SEO) and Online Content Management. Because search engines are dynamic and in constant states of change and revision, it is essential that results are constantly monitored.

Social networking giant Facebook has been known to practice this form of reputation management.