In the age of social media, where people depend on online reviews, testimonials and comments for building trust with your brand, online reputation management becomes highly crucial. When a single negative incident can spark widespread hatred and negative comments, your brand equity and brand value is lost overnight.
In order to avoid these situations, reputation management plays a key role in the success of your brand or business.
Whether it is watching a film, buying a product or service or visiting a new place, the first thing that people do nowadays is check for reviews online. These reviews can make or break your business. In fact, 63% of a company’s reputation is based on reviews.
Hence, making a great first impression with SEO reputation management becomes not only necessary but the top factor that promotes the growth of your business in 2024.
So What is reputation management in SEO?
Online reputation management in SEO involves content marketing, social media profiles optimization on SERPs, publishing sponsored posts, doing digital PR and local SEO management to create a positive reputation online.
In this article, we will discuss what is reputation management in SEO, and what reputation management tactics are used by White Label SEO agency to help businesses thrive in the digital age.
3 Reasons Why SEO Reputation Management Matters For Your Business
Loss of Organic Traffic
When your brand has a positive online reputation, it attracts potential customers to your business. It instils confidence and trust in your products and services and establishes your brand as a premier brand in the minds of the people. On the other hand, when negative reviews about your brand dominate the first page of Google, potential customers may lose trust in your brand which leads to less organic traffic and ultimately lesser sales and revenue
Difficulty attracting new Customers
When people search for your business online, and find negative reviews, they are less likely to purchase your products and services over your competitor’s . Hence , there is a difficulty in attracting new customers.
Reduced Conversion Rate For Paid Ads
When people look at a negative result next to one of your paid ads, they are less likely to click on your ad and more likely to watch the negative review. Ultimately, there would be lesser conversions for your paid ads. Hence, it is more prudent to spend money cleaning up your online reputation rather than spending on paid ads at this juncture.
This was what typically happened to Domino’s pizza in April of 2009 when a search for the nearest domino store returned both a paid ad link and a negative youtube review just below the paid ad. Most of the people who ended up watching the review refrained from purchasing the pizza.
This was how Domino’s SERPS looked in April of 2009.
As you can see, the word “disgusting” is right below the paid search. When people are looking to place a food order, they won’t be encouraged to buy from a place being described as “disgusting”.
However, Domino’s rebounded from the incident using a comeback video that explained the changes they were going to take to overcome the issue. Hence, any brand can withstand the ill-effects of negative reputation online with proper online reputation management tactics in SEO. We will first understand better what is reputation management in SEO
What is Reputation Management in SEO
Reputation management in SEO is all about ensuring that wherever a searcher encounters their brand in the search engine results pages (SERPs), they take away a positive message about it.
The online reputation management process involves monitoring online mentions of the company and requires businesses to address negative feedback. It is the process of shaping and controlling the narrative around your brand online.
Why is Reputation Management Important for SEO
The first thing that any SEO agency must do is to check the online reputation of a business. Because, if the business has negative online reviews, no amount of good articles or SEO tactics are going to help the business. Hence, the business must first address these negative reviews online before it starts any SEO optimization.
Following are the negative effects of SEO without proper online reputation management for businesses.
- Without managing your online reputations, any negative reviews overshadows your SEO efforts
- Negative reviews damage the trust and credibility of your business reducing the positive effects of any SEO work. People are not going to click on the best call to action if there are negative reviews of your company.
- Other businesses and websites are less likely to link with your website if there are negative reviews of your business leading to lesser backlinks
- Ignoring your negative online reputation for a longer time can lead to long-term damage to your SEO efforts, as search engines start to view your brand less favourably.
Hence, by focusing on both SEO and online reputation management, businesses can create a more balanced and effective digital presence that fosters trust, attracts customers, and drives long-term success.
How to Address Reputation Management in SEO: A Detailed Guide
Strategy #1: Suppress Negative Rankings by Boosting Prominence of Positive Search Engine Rankings
When there is a negative review on the first page of Google, the first thing you can do is to address the review if it comes from a place of misunderstanding or remove the review if it violates Google’s content policies. If , however, the negative review does not fall in any of these categories, boosting content with positive rankings above the negative review site will help you manage your reputation online.
Most people will only read the first page of Google, Hence, if you have a number of positive reviews on the first page with the negative reviews pushed to the second page of Google, it can do well to manage your reputation online.
By creating positive content that targets the same keywords as the negative article, you can potentially outrank the negative piece and push it further down in the search results. This is particularly effective when the positive content is hosted on a website with a higher DR than the site featuring the negative review
To make this approach work, the positive article must be well-written, informative, and relevant to the target keywords. It should also follow SEO best practices to increase its chances of ranking well.
Strategy #2 : Using Sponsored Posts to Highlight the Positive Aspects of Your Business
Through sponsored posts, you can highlight the positive aspects of your business and craft your own message about your brand. Make sure to launch the sponsored posts on a site with higher DR than the site featuring the negative review.
Well-crafted sponsored posts that incorporate relevant keywords can rank well in search results, helping to push down negative content and improve your brand’s overall online visibility.
Partnering with reputable websites or influencers for sponsored posts can also lend credibility to your brand and help build trust with potential customers. With multiple sponsored posts, make sure to use the right anchor texts to link across to your website.
Strategy #3 : Publishing Articles on Social Media Websites like Blogspot, Linkedin or Medium
Websites like LinkedIn and Medium have high domain authority, which means that articles published on these platforms have a good chance of ranking well in search results. This can help push down negative content and improve your brand’s online visibility.
Engaging, well-crafted content on social media platforms has the potential to go viral, attracting shares, likes, and comments. This increased engagement can further amplify your positive message and drown out negative content.
By consistently publishing valuable, informative content on social media websites, you can establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. This can help build trust and credibility with your target audience, mitigating the impact of negative content.
Strategy #4 : Different Content Type Optimization on SERPs
Google search results show more than just links to business websites. It also shows paid ads, social media profiles, Google My business profiles, videos, images, featured snippets and more. Reputation management strategies tackle all content types that show up on the Google SERP.
Image Results : Google has dedicated SERP real estate for image search results.
Uploading quality images and adding alt, title, and caption text with strategic keywords is one way to edge out negative content.
Video Results : Video content is highly engaging. When there are a lot of negative reviews on sites like Youtube featuring video content , the first thing that people click on are these negative reviews as people like to watch videos more than reading articles. Hence. writing any number of articles would not bring down these video results. In such cases, the best way to drown out these videos is to create equivalent high-quality videos that are optimised for the same keywords.
By creating compelling, informative videos that showcase your brand’s strengths and address concerns raised in negative reviews, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and influence their perception.
Seeing a well-produced, authentic video that addresses concerns and highlights your brand’s positive qualities can have a powerful psychological impact on viewers. It can help to counteract the negative impression left by the negative review videos and provide a more balanced perspective.
To make the best of this strategy, follow these best practices while creating videos.
- Use your videos to directly address the issues raised in the negative reviews, providing clear, honest explanations and solutions.
- Highlight the positive aspects of your products, services, and customer experience.
- Include relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, tags, and transcripts to improve their visibility in YouTube search results.
- Encourage viewers to like, comment, and share your videos. Respond to comments and questions to build relationships and foster a positive community around your brand.
- Share your videos on your website, social media profiles, and other relevant platforms to increase their reach and impact.
Strategy #5 : Use Schemas to Dominate SERPs
When people search for your brand name online, it is bad to have the negative reviews and negative articles about your site visible to search engines and users. In such cases , you can use a combination of schemas to dominate the SERP results above the fold for your website.
For example, have a look at this website – “Bestbuy – the #1 online retailer company”
This is how it is displayed on the SERP when searched for its brand name.. This can be achieved with the help of SiteNavigationElement Schema to share your navigation with Google in a better way.
One of the key strategies ‘Best Buy’ employs is the use of SiteNavigationElement schema. By implementing this markup, Best Buy provides search engines with a clear understanding of their website’s navigation structure. The schema includes essential information such as the site name, URL, social media profiles, and a search action
When this happens, people’s complete attention is shifted to the company and not to any negative reviews that appear below
Additionally, you can use Local Schema to display the local product pages thus increasing the conversion rates for people to click on your website.
This is how Bestbuy’s results appears below the site navigation.
By providing detailed information about each of its store locations, such as the name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and geo-coordinates, Best Buy makes it easier for search engines to display accurate and relevant information to users searching for electronics stores in their area.
The LocalBusiness schema helps Best Buy appear in local search results, including Google Maps and Google’s Local Pack. This increased visibility for location-specific searches can drive more foot traffic to Best Buy’s physical stores and improve its overall online presence.
By combining the power of SiteNavigationElement and LocalBusiness schemas, along with other relevant schemas, Best Buy has been able to strengthen its position in SERPs
As a result, Best Buy continues to attract a steady stream of online traffic and maintain its position as a leader in the electronics retail industry. This is an effective strategy which not only suppresses negative results but also dominates the complete first page of the SERP establishing you as a leader in the industry.
Strategy #6 : Claim and Utilise all Social Media Profiles
Facebook : The #1 Social media platform on the internet. By creating a facebook page, you can create a unique SERP listing on page 1. As social media sites have higher DR, those results are usually published directly below the website for a brand name search.
Twitter: Like facebook, a completed twitter account will be featured in the SERPs when searched for your brand name. Also tweets of famous brands are often showcased by Google in Google search results. Using the right hashtags, also helps in positive representation of your brand.
Linkedin: Apart from articles, creating an official page on your Linkedin account is essential for your brand/business. As many people search for businesses online on Linkedin, a lack of presence in any one of these social media websites might take your customer elsewhere.
Instagram : This platform is great for personal brands, and is another property that companies can use to push down negative results. Even if your business doesnt need a personal brand, creating a profile on Instagram is recommended as it takes you one step further in pushing down negative results.
Businesses can also leverage their popularity and improve trust and credibility of their businesses using social media marketing. When they create a positive presence on social media, and have a huge following, then the impact of negative reviews and articles tends to have lesser impact.
Strategy #7: Respond to Queries on Quora and Comments on Youtube
When someone enquires about a product or service in a niche, it is your chance to showcase your product’s unique qualities and help the user understand how it can fulfil their pain points.
By regularly responding to queries on quora and answering to social media comments on youtube, you can attract interested leads to your products or services.
Here’s how you can effectively implement this strategy:
Monitor relevant questions and comments: Set up alerts for keywords related to your niche, products, or services on Quora and YouTube.
Provide Valuable answers : When responding to queries on Quora or youtube, craft detailed, informative, and helpful answers that demonstrate your expertise and address the user’s specific pain points.
By consistently responding to queries on Quora and engaging with comments on YouTube, you can also:
- Build credibility and trust by demonstrating your expertise and helpfulness.
- Increase brand awareness and reach by exposing your products or services to a wider audience.
- Generate leads and convert interested users into potential customers.
Strategy #8: Work on new PR Content
When working on PR content for positive reputation building, it’s essential to focus on creating compelling, informative, and engaging materials that showcase your brand’s strengths, values, and contributions to your industry and society.
When creating PR content, develop a strategic distribution plan to maximise the reach and impact of your PR content. This may include:
- Pitching to relevant media outlets and journalists
- Sharing content on your company’s website and blog
- Leveraging social media platforms to amplify your message
- Collaborating with industry influencers and thought leaders to extend your reach
- Participating in industry events, conferences, and webinars to share your expertise
Case Study : How Samsung used Press Releases to Manage Negative Reputation Online
One example of a company that has used press releases to manage negative reputation is Samsung. In 2016, Samsung faced a significant crisis when its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones were reported to have battery issues leading to overheating and fires. This led to a global recall of the devices and a potential damage to Samsung’s reputation.
To counter the negative publicity and rebuild trust, Samsung employed various strategies, including the use of press releases. Here are a few examples of how Samsung utilised press releases during and after the crisis:
Recall announcement: Samsung issued a press release announcing the global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 devices, emphasising the company’s commitment to customer safety and its proactive approach to addressing the issue.
Investigation updates: As Samsung investigated the cause of the battery issues, they released periodic updates through press releases to keep stakeholders informed about their progress and findings.
Apology and commitment to quality: Samsung’s CEO, Tim Baxter, issued a press release apologising to customers and reaffirming the company’s commitment to quality and safety. This demonstrated accountability and a desire to rebuild trust.
New safety measures: Once the cause of the battery issues was identified, Samsung released a press release outlining the new safety measures and quality assurance processes implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Launch of new devices: As Samsung prepared to launch new smartphone models, such as the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, they used press releases to highlight the enhanced safety features and rigorous testing processes employed in the development of these devices.
By consistently using press releases to communicate transparently, demonstrate accountability, and showcase their commitment to improvement, Samsung was able to gradually rebuild its reputation following the Galaxy Note 7 crisis.
While press releases alone may not completely eliminate negative search results, they can help push down negative content by providing fresh, positive, and authoritative information about a company’s actions and initiatives. When combined with other reputation management strategies, such as SEO, content creation, and stakeholder engagement, press releases can be an effective tool in managing and repairing a company’s online reputation.
Why You Should Hire an Experienced SEO Agency for Online Reputation Management
A reputation crisis can be a big mess to clean up on the internet. The more complicated it becomes, the more difficult it will be to do alone. Experienced SEO companies understand the ins and outs of search engines and will apply their expertise to come up with a personalised strategy for Online Reputation Management.
At WhiteLabel SEO, we understand the importance of online reputation management and hence have come up with a custom SEO strategy for online reputation management.
Here’s what is involved with our experienced SEO agency’s reputation management strategy:
- Keyword Strategy: We do in-depth keyword analysis audit of the affected brand names that affect your SEO strategy. This is important because, in addition to negative search results that may appear when users search for your company, the brand itself may also be part of a long tail search term associated with negative search results.
- Creating Optimised Content for ORM : Once we identify the negative keywords affecting your brand, we will create optimised content targeting these keywords that projects your brand in a positive way. By publishing these articles on high DR sites, we can effectively suppress the negative results in the SERPS down to the second page of Google.
- Publishing Posts on Free Blogs like Medium, Blogspot or Linkedin : By publishing positive and relevant content on free social media sites, we will help outrank any other negative articles, as these sites usually have a high DR. By periodically publishing content on social media sites, we will slowly build a positive reputation and engage effectively with your target audience.
- Creating Sponsored posts – As an established Online Reputation Management agency, we help establish a collaboration with other brands, businesses and influencers for sponsored posts. By leveraging the reach and credibility of these partners, your business can expand its audience, drive engagement, and achieve specific marketing objectives.
- Social Media Profile Optimization on SERPS : By using schemas, we help you claim a large portion of the real estate on the first page of Google. In addition, we also help you optimise your social media profiles so that you can represent your business in a positive way.
By using a combination of these ORM strategies, we can effectively push down any negative reviews and create a more controlled online positive narrative.
It’s important to remember that ORM is not about deceiving or manipulating search results, but rather about proactively managing and showcasing your brand’s true strengths, values, and contributions.
For a detailed Online reputation management strategy for your business, please connect with us here.