This article highlights news of a city buying up .xxx domain names. Why would they do that? Well, they’re engaging in a form of search engine reputation management, actually.

To avoid any indecent Internet exposure, some of the city’s biggest institutions are snapping up corresponding domain names ending in “.xxx” to make sure they are never bought by or associated with adult entertainment websites.Mary Rodgers, who works in marketing and communications at the city, said the IT department had just purchased www.citywindsor.xxx on Tuesday.

“It’s to protect our reputation,” Rodgers said. “We’re not going to use it, but we own it.”

They won’t use it–and neither will anyone else.

When it comes to online review sites or negative online comments, businessmen too often want to dismiss them or ignore them.

Dealing With Real Complaints
Of course, if the negative comments are genuine, you need to look at your company. A bad comment can actually be a positive occurrence because it will alert you to any deficiencies that lurk within the organization. By quickly addressing the user’s concerns and taking care of these issues within the first 24 hours, you could prevent damaging effects to your business and enhance your reputation even further.

Real complaints should be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately. Resorting to legal suits is not the solution, though sometimes online reputation management is.