This post at SearchEngineJournal is a good one. It analyzes British Petroleum’s online reputation management problem from the vantage point of an experienced professional who knows the ins and outs of the industry.

So BP’s reputation is obviously on the line. Well, “on the line” is a gross understatement, but you know what I’m saying. And in the search engine marketing world, many have taken notice of their aggressive efforts to manage their reputation online.  According to a recent Search Engine Watch article, estimates near $1M a month in spend between Google AdWords and YouTube advertising. BP has also contracted for $50 million worth of television advertising to help manage their reputation throughout the fiasco. Finally, BP has been quite active in the social media sphere, with a Facebook fan page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and Flickr profile.

To be truthful, the search engine marketer in me can’t help but be somewhat impressed and surprised by their proactive and progressive online approach. I’m used to most companies being so far behind the curve when it comes to online reputation management (ORM), and they really have it dialed. But with that said, as an average American, I’m completely offended.

The company has been very proactive in attacking their newfound online reputation management problem. The larger question, which the author raises in the rest of the article, is whether they are being smart about their activity. That remains to be seen, but the author of the article, and many industry professionals, think BP is doing more harm than good with their online campaign.