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When was the last time you Googled your brand name? If it’s been a while, now is the time to check. Look carefully at the results on the first and second pages. Are they filled with positive content, or do you see complaints, negative reviews, or misleading information?
What shows up in search results can significantly impact how potential customers perceive your business. Prominent negative comments can drive customers away before they even click on your website. This is why online reputation management (ORM) is a cornerstone of your digital strategy. Clean and positive brand-search results can increase clicks, boost sales, and strengthen customer trust.
If you ignore ORM, you risk letting negative content define your brand. Imagine if a Google search for your business displayed complaints, like the example below for SCS. The damage to customer trust and your bottom line could be substantial.
What Is Online Reputation Management?
Online reputation management is the process of influencing and controlling how your brand is perceived online. It’s not just about damage control; ORM is a proactive approach to building a positive digital footprint, protecting your brand against future issues, and ensuring that your online presence reflects your business values.
The key components of ORM include:
- Monitoring: Keeping track of mentions of your brand online, from social media and reviews to blogs and forums.
- Engaging: Responding quickly and professionally to feedback, both positive and negative.
- Optimising: Using SEO and content strategies to promote positive content and push negative content down the rankings.
- Preventing: Implementing proactive strategies to reduce the chances of negative comments appearing in the first place.
ORM requires monitoring and managing content across multiple media channels. Here’s a breakdown of the key types:
- Paid Media
Paid media includes advertisements such as Google Ads, social media campaigns, sponsored posts, and influencer promotions. It allows you to control your messaging and reach specific audiences. - Earned Media
Earned media refers to organic coverage, such as press mentions, blog posts, forum discussions, or reviews on platforms like Trustpilot. It’s typically viewed as more trustworthy than paid media. - Shared Media
Shared media involves content about your brand on social platforms, whether from your account or user-generated posts. Social media engagement is vital, as unaddressed complaints can deter potential customers. - Owned Media
Owned media includes assets you control, such as your website, blog, and email newsletters. By optimising your owned media with SEO and a consistent brand tone, you can create a strong online presence that overshadows any negative commentary.
Why Reputation Management Is Important for Your Business
Online reputation management (ORM) isn’t just about damage control—it’s about building trust, influencing customer decisions, and fostering long-term brand loyalty. Studies reveal that almost 60% of U.S. consumers avoid buying from brands they perceive as untrustworthy. ORM ensures your business is seen in a positive light, increasing the likelihood of customer engagement and conversion.
Here are three key reasons why ORM is critical for your business:
- It impacts buying decisions: With 59% of shoppers researching online before purchasing and 97% consulting product reviews, your online presence directly influences potential customers. If negative reviews dominate your brand’s narrative, you risk losing them to competitors.
- It helps you handle negative reviews: Negative feedback is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to define your brand. Addressing complaints promptly can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate. For instance, customers who had complaints resolved within five minutes on social media were more likely to spend more in the future.
- It provides valuable feedback: Recurring issues in reviews can highlight underlying problems in your business. By analysing this feedback, you can improve products, services, or customer experiences, creating a stronger foundation for your brand.
Why Negative Results Aren’t Always Fair
Even businesses that provide excellent customer service can find themselves victims of negative online comments. Unfortunately, it’s a reality of the digital world: unhappy customers are much more likely to voice their dissatisfaction than happy customers are to leave glowing reviews.
Just a few negative comments or reviews can disproportionately affect your brand’s image, especially if they appear prominently in search results. Worse, even if the complaints are outdated or resolved, they can still linger in search results, driving away potential customers and tarnishing your reputation.
Case Study: Damart UK
Take Damart UK, for example. This clothing retailer takes customer satisfaction seriously, with thousands of happy customers who love their thermal clothing. Yet, despite their commitment to service, they faced a serious challenge: negative comments started dominating search results for “Damart” and “Damart UK.”
With the critical winter trading season approaching, they turned to Digivate for help. Our team implemented a targeted ORM strategy, displacing harmful comments and raising positive content to page one. The result? A cleansed search result page and a stronger online presence just in time for their busiest season.
How to Address Negative Search Results in 9 Steps
Online reputation management can be a complex process, but there are actionable steps you can take to improve your brand’s search results. Here are some effective tactics:
1. Audit Your Online Reputation
The first step in managing your brand’s online reputation is to conduct a thorough audit and online review. This involves understanding how customers perceive and talk about your brand online. Start by searching your brand name in an incognito browser to review Google results, including your Google Business Profile, if applicable. Take note of reviews, comments, and images, and identify which results you control (e.g., social media profiles) versus those you don’t (e.g., third-party review sites). Extend your search to social platforms, online communities like Reddit, and review sites like Trustpilot. By gathering this information, you can assess your brand’s online standing and identify areas requiring improvement.
2. Dominate Search Results with Authoritative Profiles
Platforms like Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile allow you to create optimised pages that rank highly in search results. These profiles occupy valuable space, reducing the visibility of negative content.
3. Host Reviews on Your Own Website
By bringing reviews directly to your domain, you gain more control over how they appear. Additionally, showcasing positive customer feedback can encourage others to trust your brand.
4. Encourage Positive Reviews
Proactively asking happy customers to leave reviews is one of the most effective ways to counterbalance occasional negativity. Consider incentivising reviews with discounts or loyalty points.
5. Respond Quickly to Negative Comments
Silence can be damaging. A swift, professional response shows potential customers that you value feedback and are willing to address issues. This can turn a negative experience into an opportunity to build trust.
6. Build a Proactive ORM Strategy
Don’t wait for a crisis to start managing your reputation. By implementing a comprehensive ORM plan now, you’ll be better equipped to handle any challenges that arise.
7. Monitor Brand Mentions
It’s essential to monitor brand mentions consistently to catch any potential issues before they escalate. Tools like Google Alerts can notify you of new results for your brand name (or any other keyword), but comprehensive monitoring tools like the Brand Monitoring app are more effective. These tools aggregate mentions from news sites, blogs, and forums, providing real-time insights into your brand’s online presence. With these insights, you can quickly assess sentiment, identify trends, and determine if intervention is needed to maintain your reputation.
8. Maintain Consistent Branding
Consistency in branding across all content is crucial for shaping customer perceptions and improving brand recall. Whether it’s a blog post, social media comment, or ad, your tone, visuals, and messaging should reflect your desired brand identity. For example, a lighthearted brand might use emojis and humour in replies, while a more formal brand would adopt a polished and professional tone. Consistent branding builds trust and reinforces the values your business represents.
9. Go Beyond Search Engine Results
While search engine result pages are a critical battleground for ORM, social media platforms are equally important. Social channels are often the first place customers go to voice complaints or sing praises. Managing your online reputation effectively means addressing both areas.
Here’s how to integrate social media into your ORM strategy:
- Be present and active: Having a consistent social media presence and engagement on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram helps you control the narrative around your brand.
- Monitor mentions: Use tools like Hootsuite or Brandwatch to stay updated on what people are saying about you.
- Post positive content: Regularly share success stories, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content to build a stronger emotional connection with your audience.
You should also build relationships with influencers or partner with complementary brands to improve your online reputation. Influencers can share positive experiences with their audiences, while partnerships can boost credibility through association. Seek collaborators whose values align with your brand, and encourage them to promote your business authentically.
How Digivate Can Help
Managing your online reputation requires time, expertise, and the right tools. At Digivate, we specialise in helping businesses take control of their online presence. Whether you’re dealing with existing negative content or want to prevent future issues, our experienced team can develop a customised ORM strategy that meets your needs.
From displacing harmful comments in search results to enhancing positive reviews and managing social media interactions, we’ll help you create a digital presence that reflects the true quality of your brand.
Article by
Nicholas Turner
