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The internet is an entire universe of useful information. Unfortunately, it can also be a cesspool of slander and bad-mouthing. Most major websites do not restrict users from posting content that misrepresents a business or individual. Every business has to be proactive in seeking this negative content out. Here are the sites where it can do the most damage.

Search Engine Results. By far the most damaging effect of negative postings is that they turn up in the search engine results. They can appear here either because they are posted on a high traffic site such as Facebook or Trip Advisor, or any website that ranks high in the search engines. When someone enters your company’s name in Google, they will then see this site with a description listed just below yours.

Online Marketplaces. Sites such as eBay and Amazon that you may be using to sell goods all allow customers to leave reviews. If you have all good reviews, one negative review can lower your ranking and make it harder for customers to find you. If the review was written by an unreasonable individual and is slanderous toward your company, this can really hurt your business.

Review Sites. It is increasingly common these days for people to use review sites to find goods and services. This includes people who don’t often use the internet and may be looking for a local business to try out. On a review site such as this, if you have only one review and it is a negative one, it will ruin your rating and prevent people from choosing you.

Online Complaint Boards. These are sites where people can register their complaints with online and offline companies. The webmasters of these sites will often not remove negative comments even when a representative of your company asks them to. There are also sites such as the Rip Off Report and Scam.com that are widely read.

Social Media. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have millions of users. Facebook is one of the most-used websites in the world today. Negative comments that are posted on these sites can appear on the first page of Google’s search results. Social media sites allow any user to make any comment un-moderated.

Forums. In forums, there are many users “sounding off” about things that upset them. In a forum related to your services, a person can easily tell thousands of people to avoid your company for frivolous or malicious reasons.

Blogs. Everyone has a blog these days, and they often rank highly in the search engines. A blog gives someone a platform in which they can publish anything they’d like to with no oversight from anyone else. Many blogs have thousands of readers and some even send their posts directly into their subscriber’s email inboxes. This can cause considerable damage to your company if something negative is being said about you.

The internet is full of places where any user can post negative comments about your company, and these comments can easily find their way to thousands if not millions of people. While it’s wonderful that everyone has a voice on the Web, few people realize the damage this can cause businesses. This is why we help you keep your reputation spotless.