It’s really surprising who actually needs online reputation management. The Washington Post recently had an article discussing the fate of Sue Scheff. She would enter her name in a Google search and be horrified at the results: vicious name-calling, accusations, and even death threats.

So who is Sue Scheff? Is she a celebrity? A business owner? A politician? None of the above. She is a consultant to parents of troubled teens. She started receiving these nasty comments on PTA websites in her home state. Yes, the Parents/Teachers Association members were the culprits. There were forum and message board posts that blasted Ms. Scheff. She even had YouTube videos in which she was threatened.

This is the most absurd thing most have ever heard. Getting beaten up by the PTA? Ms. Scheff sued for defamation. She won an $11.3 million dollar verdict, and still these attacks continued. It’s hard to know who is saying these things about you online. Anyone can post anonymous rants and accusations. The internet gives people a sense of impunity; it’s like wearing a mask.

It seems like a hopeless situation, especially because negative comments remain on the internet indefinitely. But online reputation management can help you regain your name. Once something is posted on the internet, it is very difficult to remove it. Sometimes, the person who posted it will take it down. Even if that happens, there’s no way to know if it shows up in anyone else’s sites. Reputation management works by pushing these types of posts so far down that no one will see them. At the same time, your websites or blogs are optimized. This means that the right keywords are used in the right places to ensure a high search engine ranking. So when someone googles you, instead of seeing how terrible you are, they’ll see the strengths, accomplishments, and qualities that you’ve worked hard to attain.

Sue Scheff ended up hiring a professional online reputation management firm, and she no longer dreads what she’ll find when she googles her name. Her firm optimized her website and created several others, showcasing her achievements and the important work she was doing.

Companies and business aren’t the only ones who need online reputation management. In Sue Scheff’s case, she was an average person who was working in a service-related field. She became the target of deranged PTA members and needed help. Without online reputation management, she would have continued to read terrible things about herself. Her friends, family, coworkers, and clients could also read them. This is not helpful in a field like hers where trust is so important. Everyone is affected by the internet, and if you think no one ever searches for your name, you may be wrong. You may not think you are of interest to anyone. But if you plan to have a career, employers will run a search for your name; competitors may check up on you.

You can’t tell who is going to search for you, but you can help protect your name and reputation. The internet has leveled the playing field in a lot of ways, and unfortunately, this means that now you too can be a target. Reputation management is crucial - monitor your online identity and get help if you see negative comments popping up.