Negative domains are nothing new to the seasoned reputation manager. A quick and easy way to explain them to a C-level or business owner is something I haven’t been able to find, so I thought what better place to write one up than trackur.com? After all, Andy Beal wrote the book on the subject of proactively defending your brand’s reputation online.

Kristine Schachinger mentions the need to buy all the yourcompanysucks.com domains, but what about key stakeholders or representatives in the company? What about specific products?  In the realm of public opinion, some C-levels are subject to having their personal character attacked because they are the face of a company. Interestingly, I really couldn’t find a good quick guide on buying negative domains to protect your business that I could share with a business owner.

With hacktivist groups like Anonymous and WikiLeaks operating under a directive of their own terms of justice, many larger corporations have begun to buy domains to protect not just their brands, but key members of influence who might face public scrutiny. B of A was smart to snatch up domains preemptively, anticipating an onslaught from one of the groups in 2010. They purchased several negative domains including several exact match negative domains for their CEO, Brian Moynihan.

While it is true that the internet generation is clever enough to come up with better, why leave the low-hanging domains to the safeguards of the unforgiving public? When you’re the largest bank in North America, the backlash target on your back is much larger than it is for a soul food joint in North Beach. But isn’t it wise to take action before you get hammered by a consumer who feels he’s been slighted and takes his own form of justice out on you? ORM is about being proactive, and you can never possibly please everyone, even if the customer is always right.

In Outspoken Media’s Online Reputation Management Guide, there is an assessment section that details all the pertinent items for which your company may need to buy negative domains. I paired it with the given easy-to-spot negative qualifiers.

This covers most of the main negative qualifiers that could be easily wrested from the clutches of those who desire to do you harm online. But to make things easier, there is a way you can search and purchase these domains all at once with KnowEm. KnowEm provides a domain checking service for free, and I use it quite often to conduct thorough research into negative domains. If you don’t have a preferred registrar, you can click on the “Available” next to the domain and purchase it right there on the spot. If the domain is not available, click on “Not Available” and you’re directed to SEDO, where the domain owner can be contacted for purchase.

In the interest of having a ready-made template for reputation managers, I have put together what I have deemed to be the most important negative domains to consider purchasing. I put them into tiers so the value of each can be easily assessed.

Key: ^ should redirect to page on main site, $ should be purchased as brand integrity/future endeavors

Until you’re knee-deep in the hoopla of a full-bore online brand attack, the results of having procured negative domains in your registry is a thankless task. But what I’ve learned over the years is when you’re in the position to do something proactively helping defend the brand of the company, you should do it. I get a couple laughs and an expected collective face-palming in the board room when I ask about negative domain assets.  Instead I tell the tale of one instance where I was called in for damage control. I saw a room full of C-levels released as stock value was destroyed at the hands of a curious consumer. This person launched a personal crusade against this company after her mother’s investment portfolio was mishandled by one employee. The investigation shed light on the larger problems within the company and poor oversight of the advisors. In the end, this investment firm had bigger issues than what the consumer first suspected, but it was her negative domain of the company that garnered support of many others burned by them. So much that it garnered the attention of the local news investigative team.

One common objection that many business owners tell me is that they stand behind their product/service and therefore don’t need to defend their reputation. Or, “I’m not doing anything shady, so I don’t need to buy negative domains”. That may be true, and I believe you. But reality sets in when I ask them to think of their favorite brand, and then think about how they may not please everyone. Think about how if they hire someone to manage their social media that the responsibility of the brand’s message is in the hands of a human, and we all make mistakes. Sh*t happens! Even to the best brands. If your business is on the level then happy consumers will respond and advocate for you. If you’re doing something you shouldn’t be, worry less about negative domains and worry more about the ethics of your practices.

Don Rhoades is a SEO Manager and reputation management consultant in Raleigh, NC. He has used trackur.com to monitor conversations about his clients since 2009.

Pretty easily, it appears.  A new social media tool is making it easier than ever, allowing users to create a simulated screenshot of a Tweet.  A screenshot of a Tweet from any Twitter account, complete with images, background, and time and date stamps.  The tool even goes so far as to allow users to alter the retweet and share count on the image.

Back in the good old days, you actually had to hack a brand’s Twitter account in order to send a message from them.  Not anymore!

[Disclaimer: As much as Oprah probably adores Trackur, this message did NOT come from her Twitter account. This is simply an example of how easy it is to create an "official" screenshot of a fake Tweet. The creator of this Tweet has little to no technical design skill, and spent less than one minute creating this.]

Used with good intentions, this could be a fun tool to create cute messages.  Used in the wrong hands? This could be detrimental to the reputations of businesses and individuals alike.  We all know how quickly messages can go viral online, and how rarely facts are substantiated before messages are shared.  What if a popular hotel chain appeared to put out a message that they thought poorly a certain racial group?  Or that their property had burned to the ground and all reservations were canceled?  What if a popular restaurant stated that they supported the use of horse meat in their burgers?  Or that they were endorsing a hate group?  The opportunities for reputation damage are endless here, especially with how difficult it can be to determine if a Tweet is faked, or if it really was published and then later deleted.  There have been many instances of brands publishing things they shouldn’t, so how hard would it be to believe a seemingly unbelievable message?  Even if people doubt the validity of an outrageous Tweet, they’re not likely to soon forget it.  And remembering is a best case scenario.  Worst case, businesses will lose customers, profits, and possibly even see a dramatic plunge in share prices.

Carrie Hill, the Director of Online Marketing Services over at KeyRelevance, LLC first clued us in to the existence of this tool. With our mutual history in the hospitality market, we both immediately thought of the dangers to vacation destinations and lodging properties while we were chatting about how scary this could be for businesses.  Here’s what she had to say:

The fact that someone built this tool doesn’t necessarily surprise us – it really was only a matter of time.  The fact that it can potentially have a huge impact on a business and it’s online reputation is truly terrifying.  The internet is rife with unsubstantiated rumor – and many facts are NEVER checked before they’re shared – making the reality of a fake tweet going viral very real.  We hope this site, and any like it, have short shelf lives.  Making sure you’re on top of your company’s online reputation is going to be the ONLY defense you have against something like this.

Unfortunately, until Twitter decides to copyright or trademark their interface, there is very little recourse for an individual or business who’s information is misrepresented.  So what happens if someone abuses your or your company’s likeness for their gain (or your loss)?  There are a few things you can do:

1. First and foremost, behave in such a way that if something hateful or untrue is published with your profile image next to it, no one will believe it is true. While having a stellar reputation doesn’t make you immune to an attack, it does minimize the initial amount of damage. If people have a hard time believing your business would say something that they’re seeing, they are less likely to share it.
2. Monitor your reputation.  If something gets out, you want to find out about it and address the situation as quickly as possible.
3. Do not ignore a problem.  Get out there, acknowledge the damaging information immediately, and let your community know that it is not true.
4. Apologize for any hurt caused.  Let your audience know that while you do not believe in or agree with the statement made, you do apologize for any inconvenience or damage it caused to your community.
5. Be available.  Offer to answer questions, make a statement, or whatever your audience needs from you to believe that the information put out there was false.

There are many instances throughout history where companies have been misrepresented.  This is not the first, and it certainly won’t be the last.  What is so alarming, however, is how quickly information can be altered and transmitted these days.  Ensuring that what people are saying about your company is true, and correcting any incorrect information, is critical in maintaining a great reputation online.

We’ve made plenty of attempts to describe the different people talking about your brand online. You have your customers, your employees, your stakeholders…and at this point, generally your eyes glaze over.

We get it. So we set out to get our point across in a more memorable manner–a MEMEorable manner, if you will.

Presenting “The People Talking About Your Company Online” as portrayed by the many internet memes you’ve come to know and love.

Please tweet, share, Like, and all of that good stuff or we’ll go back to posting boring text lists.

You have to click to enlarge this one, it’s epic!

Once again, thanks to our friends at Avalaunch for their awesome infographic skills.

How much inconvenience do bystanders and neighbors experience while perceived “reality” shows attempt to get their perfect shot? A lot it seems, especially if that show is The Bachelorette. Whether the show is filming in a hotel or a residential neighborhood, residents are saying you’d better hope it’s not the one you’re choosing to rest your head at.

A recent vacation write-up turned rant describes very little reality being captured during the filming of one woman’s quest to find everlasting love. Bystanders witnessed multiple takes of Desiree, the newest Bachelorette, and one of her beaus at an upscale Southern California Inn – and this was just to capture footage of their car pulling up. Paying guests were ushered off to the side of the lobby while the show’s crew got their footage, and the frustration didn’t end there. Hotel guests were also treated to the sound of helicopters flying overhead long into the night. A complaint much like many that have been voiced by residents of a variety of upscale neighborhoods that the show uses to house their contestants from season to season.

There’s no doubt that the exposure will be good for both real estate for those neighborhoods and for the Inn in question. The aforementioned resort even handled the situation well. After the fact. However, the question remains, is the inconvenience that their guests experienced worth the exposure? Could the property have handled it differently? Should the show rent out the whole resort to avoid these frustrations? Just take one shot and work with what they get? Film actual reality? Judging by the number of viewers the show pulls in every season, I’m sure there are even some guests that were thrilled to experience being a part of the show’s history. Most people do not visit high-end resorts to be treated like second class citizens, however, being pushed aside for someone “more important” than they are. Quite the opposite, really. Most people want to escape when they vacation, be treated like celebrities themselves. So why not alert guests ahead of time? If they don’t want the inconvenience associated with the filming of a popular television show, allow them to reschedule for a more quiet time. The property could easily fill those rooms with people who are less bothered by the chaos, and gain some positive publicity in the mean time.

Resort properties, popular venues, and anyone else that is thinking of hosting a Bachelor or Bachelorette and their cast and crew, please take note: Taking care of your regular guests and showing them the same respect that you’re showing these “celebrities” will pay off, especially on social media. If you’re going to allow filming at your property, be sure to take some steps to ensure the experience will be positive for everyone involved. A few ideas:

• No helicopters after a certain hour. This is just common courtesy. I feel silly even typing this.
• If there will be multiple takes of a scene (yes, this is a scene, not reality), be sure to do them during a time that will pose as little intrusion on your paying guests’ experience as possible.
• If you can’t find a way to get around the inconvenience, consider closing your property during filming.
• Let guests know ahead of time that something will be going on in order to allow them to plan to avoid the hoopla. While you may not be able to share details, you can give them a heads up that they may want to plan a late dinner or retire to their rooms early to avoid the inconvenience. Maybe offer discounted spa packages or room service during these times.
• If guests do complain, go above and beyond to make things right. Their complaining will do far more damage to your reputation than a massage or a free night will cost you.

One of the allures of so-called reality television is the idea that any of us could become a star. One of the frustrations is that sometimes, people are treated like they are above us because they’ve done nothing more than become a contestant on a popular television show. Would you be frustrated or excited to see a show like this filming while you were on vacation? Are there different scenarios where it would be more or less acceptable?

There are a lot of great reasons for using Trackur’s social media monitoring dashboard, but some are not as obvious as others. I wanted to start a series of tips for power-users, highlighting some of these cool ideas.

First up, is a great tip for all of your search engine optimizers–lovingly known as SEOs. Why not user Trackur to look for all the mentions of your company and check to see if they’ve included a link back to your web site? Enter your company name and load your results. You can then sort by positive sentiment, or by most influential, and start reviewing for any backlink opportunities.

Want to get real creative? Search for articles that include both your company name and your main targeted anchor text keywords, like this:

From there, you can see all of the posts that cite your brand and your desired keyword–a double win if you eventually convince them to link back to your site.

Or, why not be a little sneaky? Search for articles and blog posts that mention your competitors and reach out to the journalist/blogger and introduce your company? Don’t be pushy, but perhaps you could convince them to add your company to their existing post.

I generally don’t like to make comment about our competition. With Google Alerts, I will make an exception.

With the recent announcement that Google Reader is shutting down, news that Google Alerts has become inconsistent with its email alerts means that it too may be doomed to closure. The latest Google Alerts complaint comes via an open letter from The Financial Brand…

Starting sometime last year, The Financial Brand started receiving fewer and fewer Google Alerts. And when the Alerts did arrive, they contained fewer and fewer results. It’s gone from lots of Alerts, to many, to some, to a few… down to a trickle. Users can forget about creating any new Alerts — those pretty much won’t work at all. Indeed the volume of Alerts has decreased by at least 80%, dropping from 20-35 emails per day with 4-12 results each down to 4-8 emails per day with 1-3 results each. And the results are crummier than ever.

Ouch. I can say that because prior to building Trackur, I was a fan of Google Alerts. In fact, even with Trackur, I’ve always told people that Google Alerts is perfectly fine for 90% of those that need to monitor their reputation. I may have to stop saying that.

So, if you’re a Google Alerts user that is no longer getting your email alerts, we invite you to come and try Trackur. All of our social media monitoring plans–including the free monitoring plan–include email alerts. Simply set up your search and click on the email icon–it’s as easy as that. Here’s how our email alerts look in your inbox:

Unlike Google Alerts, Trackur includes Twitter, Facebook, as well as new, blogs, video, images and much more!

Want to give it a try? Sign up for a free 10-day trial and then email us at help AT trackur.com and we’ll give you your first full month at half price! I actually hope Google Alerts gets fixed, but if not, we’re standing by to help fill the void.

As someone that has spent most of my career helping businesses to get found, get customers, and get a great reputation, it pains me to have to look for a local business provider.

It’s 2013 and the internet is not a fad that only large corporations are utilizing. It’s an intrinsic part of our lives. So why is it that many local businesses still fail to grasp the  concept of making a great first impression.

I’ve spent the last week or so researching everything from chiropractors to tennis courts and just about every local business web site I come across is guilty of at least one of these faux pas.

1. Who are you?

Don’t assume that I’ve heard of you. Don’t even assume I know what it is that your business offers. Too many local businesses treat their web sites like a brochure they provide only to those people they’ve actually spoken with. Assume that the vast majority of visitors to your website have never heard of you and may not ever contact you for further information. So, make sure they know who you are, what you do, and why they should trust you.

2. Where are you?

Just yesterday I had to find the location of a tennis court, here in Raleigh. I knew the name of the club and I even knew the sub division they are located within. However, after arriving at their web site, I could not for the life of me find their physical address. They just assumed that I’d know where they were located. Aside from the benefits of being listed in places such as Google Local, putting your address at the bottom of every page is just common courtesy. Include a link to an online map, and you earn bonus points!

3. How do I contact you?

Likewise, why is it so hard to figure out how to reach you? Perhaps you have your phone number buried deep on a single page, or maybe if I squint just right, I’ll find your email address. Don’t make me work so hard. If it takes me more than 3 seconds to spot your contact info, I may go somewhere else.

4. Do you actually respond to that contact form?

True story. I actually clipped a coupon from a flyer mailed to our house. How old school is that? It was for a chiropractor–my back has been killing me–so it was great timing. I went to their web site and they actually had their hours listed on the site (that could be a bonus tip), so I called them. Guess what, the office was closed. So, I filled out their contact form on their page. It has been over a week and I have still not heard back from them. That is not uncommon. I once emailed a construction company and did not hear back for 2 months!! If you’re going to have a contact form on your web site, please make sure it actually goes to someone that will respond.

5. Can I pull your site up on my phone?

Just about every business should make sure their web site is “mobile compatible” but that is even more important for local businesses. I am much more likely to be “out and about” when I decide to look up your web site. Maybe I came from Yelp, or perhaps I drove by your business earlier in the day. Either way, I am now about to go to your web site from my Android, iPhone or other smart device. How does your site look? Can I quickly get all of the above information? If your web site is due for a redesign, I must insist you make sure that you build it to be responsive in its design.

These are the five fundamentals that I see local businesses failing at all the time. Just one of these points-of-failure can lead to a bad first impression–a bad “first reputation.” What else would you add?