If we haven't done it ourselves, we know someone that's done it. That's right, typing in your own name, or the name of a date, a new friend, or a potential employer into a search engine to see what pops up. It's not a new idea. What is a new idea, in the small business world, is the idea of searching for your own company just to see what other people are saying about you. That's where online reputation management comes into play.

I've written about ego surfing and online reputation management before. Earlier this summer I covered the problems that Quixtar was having with online PR. In January I also covered the ego surfing trend that was sweeping the business world. I've even speculated on how search marketing could be used to influence elections, and how it can actually hurt your ego.

For those that still aren't familiar with the idea, ego surfing and reputation management are not only about finding out who is talking about you online and what they are saying...it's about using the Internet and search marketing to respond to negative press.

If you're not already doing this, it'd be a good idea to either add it to your monthly to do list, or assign the task to someone trustworthy in your office. For the average small business, it shouldn't take long to run these searches. That said, the pay-off for a proper response when you do find a problem could end up being priceless.

Learn more about the process of online reputation management with today's featured article: "Reputation Management, Are you Doing It?."