Is Your Reputation Being Destroyed Online?

Are people talking about you online and you don’t even realize it?

What you don’t know CAN hurt you.

I’m surprised by how few people actually check their reputation online, especially when it’s so easy to do.

Here’s a prime example of someone who got burned by not managing their online reputation.

A Southern California deli did not respond to the early warning signs, and as a result, they may not survive.

First, a negative article appeared in a local newspaper. Then, three customers complained at the online reviews website Yelp that they had gotten salmonella poisoning – from poorly stored food in their restaurant. Suddenly, this staple of the California scene for more than three decades has found itself struggling for survival.

Although negative online comments can certainly kill a business, they can  also greatly damage a person’s professional or personal reputation.

This can be especially annoying if the comments are from a competitor or  rival and have no basis in fact, whatsoever.

A civil engineer noticed a highly negative review on Google Maps, about his long-established business. As he dug deeper, he discovered that it was a competitor who was posting negative reviews on several civil engineering sites. Trying to contact Google to let them know it was a “fake” complaint proved all-but-impossible. Have you ever tried to contact Google?

Sites like Google Maps, Yelp and Angie’s List are among a growing group of online sites that give negative reviewers an easy opportunity to post toxic feedback regarding you and your business.

Facebook pages can also become a source of toxic comments.

Although “reputation repair” companies can help, the best first step is to respond whenever anyone leaves a negative comment.

With the civil engineer, we quickly posted an explanation that it was a competitor who had posted the negative comment, and showed proof. We also contacted Google’s review site, although it tends to take forever before fake reviews get deleted.

Also, there’s a way to make sure you are alerted almost every time your name is mentioned online. Simply go to Google Alerts (it’s free) and enter your personal name and business name as keywords. This will alert you whenever someone mentions your name online.

Also, if you go to Google about once-a-month and search for your business, the way a client might, and you should be able to catch most of the negative comments that get posted.

Remember, just as a positive comment can help you grow your business, a negative one could just as quickly tear it down.

Stay alert to what people are saying about you online, and you can often protect yourself from unexpected surprises.