In a word, Yes. Steve Rubel pointed out that "Blogging creates communities around complaints''. That's a sobering thought for all companies now - whether they are doing business online or not. Customers have a voice and are using it in many instances simply to hurt people or businesses they've had a bad experience with. Search engine reputation management can no longer be an afterthought. Exploring this issue further, Ann Smarty over at SEOSmarty.com posted a list of major services that encourage spreading negative reputation online. It's a complex problem on many levels that you will likely face sooner than later. The danger for businesses is great. These sites allow anyone to post complaints of any type. If this happens to your company, it can destroy your business. A good way to diffuse the complaints is to join in these discussions and give your side of the story, explaining how you are addressing the situation. But with the proliferation of blogs, it's become more and more difficult for a company to monitor every mention of their web site online. Clearly, it's best to be proactive about your negative online reputation potential. Check out the above list, consider the impact sites like these can have on your business, and give us a call. We can help.