There is one thing in business that is not worth anything. It is priceless.

Whether you have actively developed an online presence or not, one of the most important tasks in 2012 is protecting your reputation! Yes, managing your reputation today must include your online reputation. Much as you would protect your credit, it is crucial to regularly check for activity connected to your name and your business. Anyone can post information about you whether you have a strong web and social media presence or not. Ultimately, it’s better to develop your own online reputation so you are in control of generating positive search results through your online posts and profiles.

One of the easiest ways to monitor your reputation is by setting up a Google Alert which will inform you of anything that has appeared about you online. Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic. Go to www.Google.com/Alerts and set up a free alert on your name and your firm’s name. Whenever anything appears online that you or someone else has posted about you, an email will be sent to you with a link to the online occurrence.

If you are not sure what exists about you in the public space, you may want to start. Your online reputation is a fast way to attract a lot of positive – and negative – attention to you and your firm. Control the message and you will control your reputation.