A former employee is spreading rumors online about me and my business. How can I defend my reputation online?

If the rumors are affecting your reputation online, it’s important to set the record straight right away. However, if the rumors aren’t ranking highly in Google, it might be better to ignore them. Sometimes, responding directly to the rumors can give them more strength and make them rank higher in Google search results.  

If there isn’t an immediate threat, focus instead on promoting positive content online about your business so that the rumors don’t ever make their way to the first page of Google search results.