Employers:
Many employers search their prospective employees online so if you have anything negative such as an old article about your driving ban or an image of something you did whilst at University your potential employee will know.
Customers:
Most customers will carry out some sort of research before purchasing a product online, this is typically through a search engine so if you have a few forums popping up with negative content it’s certainly going to make a customer think twice before clicking on your website.
Review sites:
Websites like TripAdvisor should definitely be taken seriously, if you’re thinking of booking a hotel or holiday online the first thing most travellers will do is a Google search so if you have a few negative reviews it’s worth trying to remedy the situation by solving their issue or at least providing an incentive for them to give your business another chance.
Prevention:
Just because you don’t have any negative content in your search doesn’t mean none of the above applies to you, most personal searches are very vulnerable to negative content and it’s much easier to build a positive reputation than to fix a negative reputation.
Social Media:
Social media horror stories are becoming increasingly prevalent in the news, most content you post online will stay online, even if deleted it will most likely be backed up on a server in a warehouse somewhere in the world.
