How to Manage Your Online Reputation [Your Indepth Guide]

No matter what kind of business you own, having a great online reputation in today’s day and age is more important than ever before. Customers now have dozens of options to choose from when they shop for any type of product or service. The paradox of choice can make it hard for customers to decide where to spend their money, and ultimately, they’ll research a company’s online reputation before making a final decision.

If you’re wondering, “What is online reputation management?” or how to manage your online reputation, keep reading to learn more about protecting, monitoring, and creating a stellar online reputation for your company.

How Do I Protect My Online Reputation?

The first step in online reputation management is to find out what a customer sees when they search for your business online. Google holds great power in how your business fares, and it’s important to do everything you can to optimize search results.

After a quick Google search, you may find unfavorable reviews or inaccurate information popping up. Though you can’t always delete this content from the internet forever, you can bump it out of the top search results by putting out other optimized content that is valuable to the reader. Here are a few other ways to protect your online reputation:

• Flag inappropriate or inaccurate content. Social media platforms may take down content if you use the proper reporting methods.
• Register under multiple domains. Claiming a domain ensures you won’t be competing with other websites for ranking in Google search.
• Publish content frequently. The more content you put out, the more you’ll be able to push away undesirable content and control your online reputation.

How Can I Monitor My Online Reputation?

There are now dozens of tools you can use to monitor what people are saying about you on the internet. Monitoring this content will give you valuable feedback as to what your customers like and dislike about your company. You’ll also have a chance to reply and turn buyers into loyal customers. Consider these options when monitoring your online reputation:

• Set up Google alerts. You’ll get an email every time someone publishes content using the name of your business or other keywords you choose. This will allow you to resolve issues and engage with customers.
• Be active on social media. Most businesses have social media (and some use them successfully), but many are not optimizing them by responding to customer comments. Designate one person to quickly respond to comments, direct messages (DMs), and tweets.
• Use a reputation management tool. Reputation management tools give a complete overlook of everything being said about your business online. Get real-time analytics and even learn more about what’s being said about competitors.

How Do You Create a Good Online Reputation?

Creating a good online reputation takes time and diligence. Whether you’re creating a reputation from scratch or looking to reverse a bad reputation, none of it will happen overnight. Exercise patience and try these tactics to create a good online reputation for your business:

• Ask for reviews. Online reviews are one of the most influential aspects of your online reputation. Get in the habit of regularly asking customers via email and in person to write you a review.
• Publish useful content. Your customers are inundated with social media posts. Stand out by publishing content that helps them in some way, and they’ll be more likely to come back for more.

How Do You Clean Up Your Online Reputation?

Luckily, no online reputation is ever past saving. The internet is ever-changing, and you can eventually wash out unfavorable content relating to your business. Here are some steps to turn around a negative online reputation:

• Delete what you can. Identify negative content and ask publishers to take it down. They may say no, but it can’t hurt to ask. If the content is on a social media platform, you can flag the content or send a request to the company.
• Get legal help. Some negative content may be illegal if it breaks copyright or libel laws. Talk to a lawyer to find out if a lawsuit is right for your situation.
• Create quality content. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s vital to be publishing useful, shareable, and interesting content to drown out negative search results.

How Do You Build a Good Business Reputation?

Ultimately, building a good business reputation comes down to your product and customer service. When you deliver a great product and exceptional customer service, people will take notice. Those customers will take to the internet to tell friends and family what they love about your company, and your great reputation will spread.