Online reputation management involves more than establishing a website and social media profiles. Conversations about brands are happening at various channels around the web, and the loudest of these discussions converge at one important place: the search engine results page. This post covers the basics of reputation management SEO, including the relationship between reputation and search engines, branded keywords, and strategies to dominate page one.
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Have you ever Googled yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not everyone might admit to it, but it\u2019s doubtful anyone could resist Googling their name at least<\/em> once or twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most people, the results are typical: a few social media profiles, a company \u201cAbout Us\u201d page, maybe a quote in a local newspaper. Depending on your name\u2019s popularity, the top results might be about an entirely different person; someone you\u2019ve never met, but with whom you share a search engine results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might\u2019ve Googled yourself out of curiosity, or boredom, or because we put the thought in your mind just now. But there could be a time in your life where someone makes that inquiry with more significant intentions: a manager thinking of hiring you, a college weighing your application, or a potential partner scoping you out before a date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that case, the search engine results could have very real and lasting impact on your reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same goes for brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What shows up on page one of the results for branded keywords <\/strong>(searches that include the name of the brand) has a measurable effect on that brand\u2019s reputation. That\u2019s the importance of reputation management SEO, which is search engine optimization strategies and tactics to influence the results for branded search inquiries in order to preserve and improve a brand\u2019s reputation online. It\u2019s Friday night, and you\u2019re decidedly too exhausted to make dinner. But you\u2019re not feeling like any of your go-to restaurants, either. So, you pull out your phone and Google the name of that new place in town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first result is the restaurant\u2019s homepage; the second is a link to their menu. Perfect. But there, in place three, is a preview of their Yelp rating: In an instant, your opinion has turned; there\u2019s no way you\u2019re paying 5-Star prices for a 2-Star meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Review sites like Yelp can have an enormous impact on a brand\u2019s reputation online. So can Google reviews, news stories, blog posts, forum discussions, directory pages, career sites, and all the other third party websites that rank for branded search inquires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is that brands can\u2019t control the content on these sites as they rule their own domains. A well-optimized homepage will usually outrank third party sites for branded inquiries, but customers aren\u2019t as likely to click through if it\u2019s surrounded by negativity on the SERP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can ask the authors to remove negative pages, but that can easily backfire and result in an even worse reputation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what can be done about it? Rarely do brands have the power to remove negative search engine results outright. However, it is possible to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is to enhance the ranking of positive items in favour of negative ones, either by displacing the negative content or improving it. There are several ways to go about this; we\u2019ll briefly cover three strategies in the sections below. Third party review sites like Yelp (along with industry-specific sites like G2Crowd for B2B software, or HomeStars for trade contractors) are crucial when it comes to reputation management SEO for local service industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These sites tend to rank well because they provide relevant information consumers want to see. Authentic customer reviews tend to carry more weight than curated testimonials on a brand\u2019s own website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might not always be possible to outrank them, but it is possible to turn these sites into an asset:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With proper placement and optimization, quality blog posts, videos, and images that utilize branded keywords can rise in the rankings to displace negative pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n YouTube videos are especially powerful in this way, since they can even claim the coveted position zero ranking<\/a>, claiming valuable above-the-fold real estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth utilizing off-site publishing platforms as well as those on the brand\u2019s domain. Industry-specific news sites, as well as pop news sites like The Huffington Post, can be valuable both for back-linking and reputation management. Journalists, bloggers, editors, and video creators are always on the hunt for great content. Pitching positive stories about the brand helps to seed the web with a variety of content relevant to branded search inquiries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, these stories can gain enough traction to rise in rank and claim a spot previously occupied by negativity. Reputation management SEO takes time. Positive stories cannot displace negative ones overnight; high-quality links need to be developed over time; and legitimate customer reviews don\u2019t always come easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But at this day and age, reputation management SEO is absolutely worth the time and effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The search engine results page serves as a brand\u2019s first impression to many, many <\/em>people. Negative results can stop potential customers in their tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s like the old saying about planting a tree. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now. Change takes time, so there\u2019s no better time than the present to work on your brand\u2019s online reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow the Search Engine Results Effect a Brand\u2019s Reputation
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Rating: 2.5 – 63 reviews – Price range: $40-$60<\/em><\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nReputation Management SEO Strategies
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Encourage Positive Reviews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n2. Publish New Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Get Others to Write About the Brand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nManaging Your Reputation Online<\/h2>\n\n\n\n