As an affiliate marketer, you name is your “brand” on the Internet. It’s what people see in search engine results when they search your name and it often determines whether they buy from you or one of your competitors.

If you’ve got an unhappy customer out there, someone who is bent on telling the world how YOU have mistreated them, this can be a problem for you.

Even if you’ve done everything in your power to make the situation right, this person might post to blogs and forums denouncing you. And those posts will appear in results when other users search for information about you.

And sometimes, underhanded competitors might post negative information about you to blogs and forums. Those items will also appear in search engine results.

First, you need to be aware this is a risk and plan for it.

Second, you need to monitor your name and your business name regularly to see what information is returned. Check your name and business name on the major search engines on a regular basis. Daily might be too often, monthly might not be often enough.

Third, know what to do if you find negative comments about you or your business.

Essentially, you have two choices:

1. You can clean up your reputation yourself
2. You can hire a pro

DIY is far less expensive. It will take some time and effort but it can be done. You can’t have search engine results removed but you can move the negative results to the second page or at least down the first page where they’re doing your reputation no harm.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Set up a new blog and create links back and forth between your website and your blog. Make a few posts about yourself and nothing else.

2. Create lots of sub-domains around your name and establish them on the most popular websites such as Blogspot, Wordpress, MySpace, etc. Don’t worry about content; you’re just looking for an online presence. Be sure to link to your own website.

3. Establish accounts with social networks such as FaceBook, Twitter, Linkedin and complete your membership profiles at each network.

4. Get accounts with Flickr and Picasa and upload pictures and images that are related to you or your company.

If you implement all of these strategies, it should provide enough positive information about you to move all of the negative information about you way down the first page or even to the second of third pages of search engine results, where it makes much less of an impression on potential customers will see it.

Be sure to take care of your good online reputation. It’s your most valuable asset!