Protect Your Reputation

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

/ j" N& y0 ^% V5 W! c$ d2) 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.

- f2 Q# F' ?) F" [; c- TReputation 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.