Search Engines, Reputation, and the Internet's Long Memory
I'm Bill Hartzer. For more than 25 years I've worked at the intersection of search engines, online reputation, domain names, and internet infrastructure — first as a technical SEO (Search Engine Optimization) consultant helping businesses understand how content gets indexed, ranked, and found, and over time increasingly as someone people call specifically because something false and damaging about them has shown up online and they need it gone, or at least pushed down where it stops doing damage.
That combination matters more than it might seem. Getting defamatory content addressed isn't just a legal question; it's a technical one. Where is it actually published? Has it been cached or archived anywhere you don't know about? Is it ranking for your name because of the content itself, or because of how a platform's algorithm is treating it? What's the realistic timeline for removal versus suppression versus needing to escalate further? Those are questions I've spent a career answering, applied specifically to defamation.
Quick Facts
25+ Years
In search engine optimization, online reputation, and internet investigations, dating back to the late 1990s.
Individuals & Businesses
Helping people protect personal reputations and helping companies address false reviews and defamatory content about the business.
Expert Witness Experience
State and federal court expert witness experience on the technical side of internet defamation and online reputation matters.
Not a Law Firm
Independent technical and reputation consulting — working alongside your attorney when one is involved, not in place of one.
Practical, Not Theoretical
I don't believe in scaring people into a retainer, and I don't promise removals I can't realistically deliver. Some content can be removed quickly through a platform's own policies. Some can't be removed at all, and the realistic path is suppression — making sure it isn't the first thing someone sees — or a formal legal process through an attorney. Part of my job is telling you honestly which situation you're in before you spend money assuming otherwise.
When a matter is heading toward litigation, whether that's identifying an anonymous poster or supporting a damages claim, I also work directly with retaining attorneys as an expert witness, bringing the same technical background to depositions, reports, and testimony.