How to Protect and Preserve Your Online Reputation

Recently, a person mentioned that he had the same name as the criminal in an article that held the top spot in the search results. Unfortunately for him, he had the same first, middle and last name, so there was no way to differentiate himself from the newsworthy criminal.

People suggested to this person that he utilize a reputation management firm to create positive content, which would push the story about the criminal further down in the search results. Reputation management firms are expensive; typically, high-powered executives, politicians and celebrities use this service. A person should not have to spend money through no fault of his own; it is possible to do minor reputation management on one's own.

Creating social profiles that include a photo and a geographic location can differentiate a person from a criminal, unless a person has terrible luck and lives in the same state as the criminal. A same name domain will appear high in the search results if anyone were to search for information about the criminal. A person could make it clear right upfront, with enough detail to guarantee that he could not be mistaken for someone else.

Creating a press release if someone has recently started a business or done anything else newsworthy is another option. There is an abundance of free help online regarding how to write a press release and services that will distribute them at no cost.

Continued blogging, if the person already has a blog, is probably the best option. Posts with engaging content will soon outrank news stories, as the information becomes dated. The person should always have a business card with them, as opposed to asking someone to Google them. It may also help to create a blog post about the coincidence and share it on social media, making sure people understand the difference.