Protect Your Reputation

We've all heard that Companies search Google before they give you the job offer, and if you read recruiting blogs, you know that candidates google recruiters shortly after meeting you - but what is to be done if someone is intentionally trying to cybersmear you?

If you have a blog - you have a voice to defend yourself, but if you're just an average joe or sally, you might consider having someone do the searching for you.

Enter, Reputation Defender, a company just profiled on Fox News, who promises to "search and destroy" false information about you on the internet.  It's a good idea, and for people who aren't very, very savvy, chances are Reputation Defender can do a better job eliminating the information than you could on your own.  After all, most people think that they can simply "sue."  It ain't so simple.

Some common sense things you can do before you sign up for the service.

1) Do a Google Search of your name, and one of your name with the industry you're in and the company you work for. Examples:  Jim Durbin, Jim Durbin Recruiter, Jim Durbin Durbin Media Group.  Perform the search on Google, but also MSN Live, Yahoo, and Ask.com (These are the four biggest).

2) If you have a website, set up a Technorati xml feed that tells you when someone is linking to your website.

3) Use Talkdigger.com to search for conversations about your name and website.

Reputation Management is a big deal.  Much of what we try to teach for Durbin Media Group is the importance of monitoring your online reputation.  As a candidate, or an employee, as someone dating or running for office, you need to know what is being said about you.  Or you could go for that whole ostrich/head/sand technique that worked so well for Republicans in 2006.