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His brand of bully retail backfired yesterday when the 34-year-old was arrested in his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., on charges of cyberstalking, making threats, mail fraud, and wire fraud.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern district of New York, called Borker an alleged cyberbully and fraudster, adding that he cheated his customers, and when they complained, he tried to intimidate them with obscenity and threats of serious violence. According to the feds, some of the highlights include:

*He regularly e-mailed customers expletive-filled notes.
*Threatened to sexually assault a woman.
*Crank-called customers at night.
*Posted Google Earth pics of his victim's homes and warned that he knew how to find them.

In The Times article, Borker said: "I've exploited this opportunity because it works. No matter where they post their negative comments, it helps my return on investment. So I decided, why not use that negativity to my advantage."

The negative advertising tactic paid off. Furious online chatter and hundreds of tirades posted on various consumer protection sites have helped to land Borker in the coveted spot on Google--the top search ranking.

The Times called Borker a "pioneer in a new brand of anti-salesmanship," but late last week, Google responded, announcing that it developed an algorithmic solution which detects DecorMyEyes.com, along with hundreds of other merchants, that provide an "extremely poor user experience." Google Fellow Amit Singhal said in a blog post: "The algorithm represents an initial solution to this issue, and Google users are now getting a better experience as a result..... And we will continue to work hard towards a better search."

Companies have long ago discovered that the impact of ratings and reviews goes beyond the sale. Sites with customer comments report increased traffic, higher customer satisfaction, prioritized search engine results, and a higher propensity to recommend the site to others.

While negative reviews can also be beneficial, increasing customers' comfort level about being transparent about product weaknesses and serving as an easy way for companies to identify problems and fix them, Borker abused the practice.

Chris Silver Smith, director of optimization strategy for KeyRelevance, posts some great tips on Search Engine Land about improving rankings through ratings and reviews reputably. Please check them out.

Borker's arrest not only highlights the need to identify companies using cyberbullying as a sales strategy; it also serves as a great reminder for reputable companies to take a closer look at how they manage their online reputation, how they listen and interact with customers, and whether they are strategic in their approach to search.