Reputation management is something we usually associate with celebrities who have to proactively try to save their reputations when their indiscretions get splashed far and wide across the Internet. The world has changed and today up to 75% of people will do an Internet search instead of looking in a phone directory when they look for services.

The two top spotlight careers where huge damage can be done to their reputations are lawyers or doctors. This means search engine optimisation in the form of reputation management has become an important facet to be used where their careers are concerned.

Search engines and third party content

Google and the other search engines will remove third party content under certain circumstances, but do not get involved where people in spotlight careers become embroiled in disputes. They will only remove content if for instance there is distribution of malware or phishing involved, spam, or theft of website content. In cases where the image of your handwritten signature is displayed and if a website displays your private and personal information such as information about your bank account or your credit card number, they will remove third part content if you are not a porn star and your name is being linked with the adult industry. When it comes to guarding your reputation, you are on your own and must do your own reputation management.

Lawyers can never be too vigilant

Let’s face it, there are uncountable bad lawyer jokes around the world, some based on fact, some not. With the global access to the Internet, lawyers are more at risk than ever before and their careers can be sabotaged instantly by anyone with a grudge. If your name comes up in any legal assistance search with negativity attached to you, you have lost that client immediately. That is why lawyer reputation management should be proactive, for it is too late and too costly when your career and reputation has been shot to smithereens to try to undo the damage.

Doctors under the spotlight

It is said that the Internet is the largest grapevine on earth and people love to gossip. Doctors are highly susceptible and can have their reputation and career damaged very fast. Today there are firms specialising in reputation management for doctors to prevent them from losing clients due to negative publicity. It is no longer enough to try to undo reputation damage after the fact, proactive steps are being taken to build a solid reputation for doctors for the future. Proactive brand management for doctors have become a valuable resource and social networking through creating a profile on Facebook, CitySearch, Yelp! and others are done.

Extensive submission through Yahoo Local, MSN Local and Google Maps form part of the strategy of brand management for doctors. The aim is to get patients talking about the doctor with positive input. Reputation management firms aim to spot damage immediately and through the abundance of positive online information, move the negative reports down the search results and out of the spotlight.

Thus proactive SEO in the form of reputation management has become a vitally important part today, not only for lawyers and doctors, but all other professionals to safeguard their careers.

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