In a post on her blog on Thursday, Susan Moskwa, Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst recommends proactively publishing “useful, positive information”  to gain control of your business (or personal) online reputation.

Moskwa’s comments come in the context of dealing with negative online publicity and in 2009, it’s still the case that most businesses only think of online reputation when something goes wrong. It’s the online equivalent of crisis PR.

Other companies are taking a more considered approach, combining elements of search and editorial planning to ensure that their online reputation matches their brand values. Some have gone further and even improved their brand image by the way they interact online, indeed for some retailers without an offline presence this is fundamental to their strategy, relying on a 5 star customer rating to give buyers confidence.

For PR people, managing online reputation goes right to the heart of business strategy, with many more customer touch points to consider than before, the banana skins are everywhere and the best approach, as Moskowa underlines, is to take control of online content before it takes control of you.

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