There are few feelings as bad as discovering that you or your company has bad publicity on the internet. The natural impulse is to do something immediately to set things right. Unfortunately, this impulse can actually make matters worse. As hard as it is to do, the best thing that you can do if you discover that you have been defamed is not to take action until you have developed a plan. 

Here's an example. One of the biggest sources of negative online publicity are sites like Rip Off Report  or Pissed Consumer. While these sites may have been created for a good purpose they are being massively misused. Anybody can go to these sites and post anything about anyone. Rip Off Reports are supposed to be for consumers who are ripped off by a merchant or service provider. But we have seen rip off reports accusing people of being perverts, child molesters, or anything else that appealed to the defamer at the time.  Most posts on these sites are anonymous so victims can't even tell for sure who is attacking them.

If you are attacked by a rip off report you an go in and post a rebuttal but the truth is that the negative report is still out there causing damage. Another thing you can do is post a blog or a website declaring your innocence. But unfortunately, if you do that, you are the one that looks guilty.

The best course of action is to survey the damage. Figure out the image that you want to communicate on the internt and then set to work creating content that eventually will rise higher in the rankings. It is frustrataing and unfair but ultimately it is the method that will give you the results you want.  Remember that most people don't read on the internet; they scan. So if someone googles your name and sees a page of search results that are not negative or sensational they will likely move on. That's why the best strategy is to slowly and surely build your reputation by creating good content about yourself and your activities.