Some of the “up and coming” reputation management (ORM) services out there are advertising like crazy. I’ve seen ads just about everywhere I turn. Ironically, some of the most advertised services are also among the most controversial. And when I say “controversial”, I really mean borderline unethical. They’re promoting destruction / removal of negative organic search results.

Let’s take a closer look at what that really means.

What is a Negative Organic Search Result?

If I searched Google for my name (and I have), and I see a result that links to a web page where someone has said something negative about me (which I have), then I have located a negative organic search result. In fact, there’s one right now in the top ten results for my name. It was written three years ago by someone hastily who had a chip on their shoulder at the time because I wrote an article about how shifty many SEOs are. Ironically, I was and am an SEO, so it didn’t make much sense for someone to get all hot and bothered, but they did. And because they’re site is authoritative, that page ranks well for my name to this day.

Many people and organizations would gladly dole out some cash to a service that “destroys” negative search results in order to improve their search engine reputation. But the truth is that no such service (outside of perhaps the mafia) exists and fulfills such claims.

So How Do You Destroy or Remove Someone Else’s Page?

The short and simple answer is… you don’t. Sorry. Unless you own a website, you have no right or ability to remove content from a website. Now, depending on the situation, you may have legal grounds to sue, but these companies aren’t going that far. They do, however, give the appearance of legal clout in the hopes of intimidating webmasters.

Remove This Negative Content Or Else!

These services are sending quasi-legal notices to the webmasters of these sites, threatening to take legal action if the negative comments are not removed. Some webmasters are easily intimidated and comply immediately, thus giving the service the appearance of success. But many webmasters know their rights and refuse to comply. In fact, some webmasters even publish the notices they receive, thus exacerbating the original issue into a larger crisis.

In the instance where the webmaster fights back, the client with the original problem becomes the butt of a public joke, and is actually harmed by the strongarm tactics of the reputation defending service.

Not Convinced? Read the Fine Print

Go through the fine print of any site that claims to destroy or remove negative comments/pages/mentions. You’ll find a boatload of disclaimers that absolve the service of any liability or responsibility to actually succeed in their claim. You’re supposed to just pay them their money and hope they are successful (and not harmful).

Keep in mind, when a company makes claims and then absolves itself of any responsibility to uphold those claims, you’re going to get next to nothing. That’s the way it works.

So If I Can’t Pay Someone to Destroy Negative Comments, Can I Do It Myself?

Even a letter kindly requesting removal has the potential for backfire. I won’t tell you not to send one to a webmaster, but you need to know what COULD happen. I’ve seen webmasters post the letters of request on their site along with mocking commentary which only further paints the person or company in a negative light. You don’t want to stir up a nasty online fight because they draw lots of traffic. What began as a minor snowball call roll into a brand killer given the wrong circumstances.

If you want to take the risk, it’s your call. Just be aware of the potential downside. I DO have clients who are serious about sending cease and desist letters, and they do so with every intention of pursuing legal action if the offender doesn’t comply. But that’s more of a situation where the offender has actually used intellectual property illegally. If someone has actually violated the law, you have every right to take action.

At MarketNet, we don’t get involved in the requests, legal or otherwise, for removal of negative content. We notify our clients of negative comments and make strategic recommendations as to what course of action we think the client should take.

Then What CAN I Do to Improve My Online Reputation?

There are three primary “white hat” ORM techniques to improve your online reputation:

Respond to negative comments in public forums with helpfulness and humility, and attempt to turn naysayers into evangelists.

Promote other content to outrank the negative search results, thereby improving your top ten search rankings reputation, but not actually removing anything negative.

Fix what’s broken. Wonder of wonders… many complaints actually stem from poor product quality or customer service. Improve the quality of your business and you’ll pass that quality on to your online reputation. Quality begets quality. Amazing, I know.

If you’ve thought of any tactics we’ve omitted, please add them in the comments below.