{mosimage}The ability for people to comment anonymously online does appear to encourage them to be more negative and vitriolic then they likely would be in person. Marketing yourself on the Web can require you grow a thicker skin. But sometimes you need to step in.

Some executives live by the rule, getting your name in print is a good thing whether the news is good or bad. They believe that even when they or their company is mentioned in a negative light, the effect is still positive. People will remember their name. Well, I agree, some controversy is good. It gets people talking. But deeply negative commentary and certainly slander can hurt your reputation and have long-lasting effects.

These days it’s not just companies that get their names in the news, on blogs, and in Web site comments. Anyone who blogs, podcasts, or in any way promotes themselves or their services online is at risk for negative attacks, slander, or even cruelty. So what can you do about it?

There are several choices. First and foremost, expect some negative commentary. People are allowed to share their views even if you don’t like them. If you ignore the posting it will go away more quickly. Yes, it is indexed in search engines, so if you believe the comments are slanderous or libelous, then contact the major search engine companies and ask them to remove the page from their index and block it.

{mosimage}It’s better, however, to focus on the positive, and make sure all of the good information about you and your services are well-indexed in search engines by tagging those pages with relevant keywords. It’s worth setting up accounts on sites where you have a great deal of control over the description posted. Add quotes from customers and other supporting information. Social sites that are worth your time include Facebook, MySpace, Xanga, and LinkedIn. You can also post your background and successes on people search engines such as ZoomInfo. Just make sure the data you submit across all sites online is consistent and accurate.

If you have a blog or Web site, and you feel that there are too many negative comments or confusion in the Webosphere, take a page from the presidential candidates and set up a Web page on your site designated for clarifying bad information posted elsewhere. Once again, make sure the page is tagged with relevant keywords to get it indexed and appearing higher in search results.

Make sure you monitor what is said about you by using free Google Alerts. You can set up several alerts for your name (common misspellings too), products, and services, etc. When you see positive comments send a thank you to the author. It’s a great way to make friends online and build advocates who may respond to negative comments on your behalf.

I often advise clients to ignore most behavior online unless someone is making commercial gain off their brand. However, each situation needs to be assessed. Often it makes sense to contact the negative commenter and ask if there is anything you can do to resolve their issue. If they’re just voicing their opinion, well that’s the double-edged sword that is Web 2.0. Those opinions can garner you much more interest among a bigger audience – and it can hurt your opportunities if you aren’t monitoring and managing it on a daily basis.