How to Manage and Rebuild Your Online Reputation

When anyone can post anything online, it is imperative to consistently manage (and repair, if necessary) your online reputation. A bad reputation can damage your professional opportunities, ruin your relationships, and gravely impact your self-confidence.

Since 92% of customers rely on online reviews and service feedback before making a purchase, a negative reputation can change their way of seeing you and your business. According to reports,

• 25% of a brand's market value is directly related to a company's reputation and can cause loss of stakeholders, vendors, and customers.
• 45% of US investors refused to do business with an individual if they found something negative online.
• 56% of US investors partnered with individuals when they found something positive online.

How to Manage & Repair Online Reputation?

Managing and repairing online reputation can be difficult because of its broad reach but not impossible. Here’s what you can do to fix your reputation and rebound stronger:

1. Assess and Find the Root Cause

You cannot fix the problem if you don't know the source of the problem. So, identify what hampered your reputation in the first place. Is it a viral news cycle by a competitor, or is it negative reviews on Glassdoor? Identifying the problem will give a clear head start to mend your reputation.

2. Fix the Problem

Whether it’s a media outlet, competitor, or blogger that has created a negative story against your brand, contact the writer or authorised individuals and politely ask them to either remove the content or update it with honest facts and details. Also, consider the following while reaching:

• Be polite at all costs.
• Document everything in writing.
• If the content is removed, remove it from Google’s index as well.
• Keep legal threats off the table.

3. Focus on SEO

To rank higher, create useful content using the high-density keywords relevant to your business and industry. Search engines love good content, and publishing quality content regularly can boost your image on Google and, thereby, your SERP ranking.

By creating more informative and beneficial content, you will push down the negative content about your business from the first few pages of the search results. Since 75% of users don't look past the first two pages of search results, the further the negative content goes, the better it is for your business.

4. Contact Google to Remove Defaming Sites

Ask Google to remove a page or site if it’s continuously posting demeaning posts against you or your business. However, before that, go through Google’s removal policies and check what kind of websites/pages they remove.

If Google removes the content, make sure you contact the site's webmaster to remove the content. It may have been removed from Google but not from the internet.

5. Respond to Negative Comments Quickly

89% of customers read businesses' responses to see if they address the problem the customer is trying to state. Be quick to respond to both positive and negative reviews. Be kind with your words and show your appreciation for choosing the brand and leaving feedback.

As for negative reviews, be polite and ask them what the issue was. Don’t hesitate to respond in public. Be professional, apologise if needed, and assure the customer the resolve the problem at the earliest. Publicly addressing an issue will put your brand in a positive light. 

6. Create Google Alerts

Google Alerts allows you to monitor the web for content relevant to you and your brand. It is an effective reputation management tool. With its notifications, you can track the latest mentions of your brand and stay up-to-date with what others are saying about your brand, product, or service. In addition, you can monitor the negative comments and take suitable action at the earliest.

Also Read: 5 Winning Methods For E-Commerce Businesses

Expert-Recommended Tips on Improving Your Online Presence

• Focus on customer service. Even at the most challenging times, your loyal customers will stand by you. So go the extra mile to give your customers more.
• Be transparent with your customers, investors, and vendors. There’s no harm in being apologetic and explaining the reason behind the crisis.
• Keep the promises you make. You will only win customers when you deliver what you promise.
• Encourage positive reviews. Request your happy customers to share their feedback on your social media profiles so more people can learn about the positive aspects of your brand.
• Be socially responsible. Find ways to give back to the community with any support. It will be a PR for your brand and improve your social standing.
• Join social networking sites. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok are now ruling the social world. Along with Google, maintain a positive presence on these sites, so customers are encouraged to connect with you.
• Make your brand relatable. Successful brands are successful because customers connect with them. If customers don't like your tone or fail to understand your purpose, they won't trust you and leave a negative comment.
• Treat your employees well. Negative employee reviews can drastically affect your Google ranking and your online image.

These are some of the simple and effective ways to manage and repair your online reputation. Want more informative content related to online reputation management? Check Essaycritics.com right away.

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