217Recovering from Online Smears
Then, note how the false negative information affects those goals. Is
it visible to all audiences or just to some? Is it very prominent in some
searches but less visible in others?
Next, create a set of recovery goals so that you can prioritize your
reputation repair efforts. If you have been the victim of multiple
smears (or even one smear spread across many sites), what negative
content is creating the largest problem for you—is there one attack
that is most visible? What audience is most important to you? What
audience is most affected by the smear?
When prioritizing, also consider possible responses to the smear.
It is very easy to debunk some smears: for example, it is very easy to
debunk a rumor that somebody did ...