Now, more than ever, it is important to cultivate a professional and well-regarded image. This is true both for businesses and individuals. More and more we as individuals, and as consumers, have come to rely on the Internet, and search engines particularly, for information on businesses, products, and services. The article pasted below identifies a number of trends in the public relations industry–and he wisely lists search engine reputation management near the top.

while Google Alerts are a useful tool, a more thorough tracking system is required for effective online reputation management. Tools such as BrandsEye track all mentions online and have the ability to check if the content was positive or negative, gauge the overall feel and provide an analysis about the sentiment of a brand online. As PRs increasingly recognise the importance of online reputation management for 2010 and beyond, these kinds of tools become invaluable.

This is a trend that will only continue to grow in 2010 and in the coming years. As the Internet increases in importance, to will search engine reputation management.

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/424/43743.html