Online Reputation Management: Your
Guide to Building a Strong Digital Image

Online Reputation Management Is More Important Than Ever.

OnlineReputation.com is a reputation management blog that is owned and operated by NetReputation.com to provide readers with valuable content related to managing your online reputation. We are the leading online reputation management experts in the industry and provide users with the best reputation management services.

What Is the Definition of Online Reputation?

Online reputation is the majority public opinion of an individual or business based on their online presence.

“The consensus public perception of an individual or business based on their online presence.”

Your online reputation defines who you are, what you stand for, and what values you contribute as an individual or business owner. Your online reputation is entirely subjective, too. When others find information about you in search results or online resources, they develop opinions about you. These opinions can have powerful influences on behavior. A positive online reputation unlocks new opportunities. A negative public perception — caused by embarrassing information like mugshots or poor customer reviews — keeps you from achieving your personal and professional goals. This is why online reputation management is so important for businesses and individuals alike. Online reputation management services help you control your online reputation through content creation, social media management, review monitoring and more.

Create a Robust, Visible, Positive Reputation in the Digital Environment

People use online resources like Google or other search engines daily to learn about the world around them, the people they meet and brands they’re interested in. The information collected in a Google search can have a powerful effect on perception.

What do search engine results say about you? What is your brand image? What customer feedback is shared publicly online?

If you’re concerned with how you or your brand is judged online, it’s time to learn about online reputation management services. Boost your brand’s reputation and stand out from the competition.

In our complete guide to online reputation management is a bit overused on this page, according to Surfer, we’ll show you how online reputation management works, the types of services available, and why your brand’s online image is vital to achieving your goals.

Let’s get started!

Why Is Your Online Reputation So Important?

Online reputation is defined as, “The consensus public opinion about an individual, business, or organization in the digital environment.”

In simple terms, your reputation is what others think about you.

Perceptions about a person or business are influenced by the quality and quantity of online information. When learning about others, people typically turn to the web for information, using Google or other popular search engines to locate the details they need to make decisions.

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For small business owners, your business reputation gives you the momentum to grow. A solid reputation based on positive reviews, constructive online conversations, and a visible online presence is the key to success.

Individuals also benefit from a positive online reputation. If someone is looking for information about you — a loan officer, a school admissions clerk, or even someone you met on an online dating site — positive information could be the key that unlocks new opportunities.

Most of us cannot afford to miss out on opportunities. ORM is an essential component of your online presence, not to mention your future.

Why Online Reviews Can Make or Break Your Business

Business owners know that online reviews have transformed how customer interactions take place in the digital world.

From the largest corporations to small businesses in your community, the customer journey often begins by reading reviews on third-party websites like TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau, or dozens of other review sites. Yes, customers read online reviews before deciding whether or not to visit your establishment.

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Positive reviews

• 92% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after reading positive reviews of your business online.
• On average, customers spend as much as 31% more at a business with favorable reviews.
• Great reviews help you achieve higher rankings in Google results to the tune of 6.47% in organic local searches.

Negative reviews

• Only 13% of customers will do business with a company that has a 1- or 2-star rating on review sites.
• 94% of consumers indicate that they will avoid a business entirely if that business has negative reviews.
• Even one negative review — a single unhappy customer — can mean a loss of as many as 22% of customers; if three or more negative reviews appear online, the loss of customers can increase to nearly 60%.

As we will learn in the sections below, services like online review management can help you bring in more potential customers, allowing your business to thrive even in competitive marketplaces.

What is Online Reputation Management?

Online reputation management is the a set of services and strategies that shape your brand’s image in the digital environment. ORM encompasses a wide range of tools, and as a digital marketing practice, this service has become indispensable for people and businesses around the world.

ORM professionals leverage the power of influencer marketing, sentiment analysis, and content creation to shape a positive image for individuals and business owners.

Let’s explore common ORM services and how they’re used by online reputation management companies to shape the digital narrative surrounding you or your brand.

Online Reputation Management Services: An Overview

Now that we know what online reputation management is, what are the services available?

ORM services include:

• Content removal
• Review management
• Pay-per-click (PPC) ad management
• Crisis management
• Public relations
• Google My Business management
• Social media marketing and management
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Local SEO for small businesses
• Branding (personal branding and business branding)
• Reputation monitoring

Talented reputation management companies work with clients to handpick the services needed to achieve their goals. In the ORM field, one-size-fits-all solutions rarely work. In the ORM field, “one size fits all” solutions rarely work. For building your digital presence or creating a reputation protection strategy that defends your image, you need customizable ORM services.

Your 5-Step Online Reputation Management Strategy: There are 6 steps here when you add PR. Maybe that can be nestled under the section above it? Changed the header to the next size down may be all that’s needed.

When you’re ready to launch your first reputation management strategy, you’ll need to understand the process that top online reputation management companies swear by. There are five distinct phases to the ORM process, and it’s common to repeat the phases throughout your campaign.

Here are the five phases to improve and manage your brand’s online reputation:

Online Reputation Analysis

Every reputation management campaign begins with a detailed analysis, exploring mentions, outdated or negative online content, and other factors influencing your digital presence. Armed with the results of this online research, reputation experts go to work, removing content or burying negative search results with proven strategies.

Web Property Development

Your online presence is built on results in online searches but also on the footprint you have created. ORM teams build an array of web properties, including personal or business websites, social media accounts, business listings, video profiles, and Wikipedia pages. As your campaign progresses, teams may add new web properties to your roster.

Content Creation

Once web properties are built and launched, they need content. Digital content is developed using search engine optimization (SEO) principles, helping the new content to be accurately indexed and categorized by search engines like Google. This also ensures great rankings for the content.Content developed for your ORM campaign may include executive biographies, blogs, news articles, interviews, social media posts, and white papers.

Content Publishing

When content is developed, it is then published on a regular schedule. This publishing process puts information in front of the people who matter most: those searching for you on the web. As positive content is added to your web properties, visibility and brand awareness are enhanced.

Content Promotion

Together, content promotion and public relations (PR) supercharge your digital presence.

Paid media: Guest posts on high-ranking blogs and websites as well as social media ads or other advertising outlets

Earned media: Content on social media channels and news outlets designed to boost engagement

Owned media: The web properties under your direct control, including personal and business websites

Public Relations

PR is a proven tool used by marketing professionals for decades. In the digital environment, content publishing and promotion allow you to own your brand’s search results. The end results are effect is incredible brand visibility, customer engagement, and top rankings on Google.

You’ll repeat the above phases as needed to improve your brand’s reputation, create a robust digital presence and stand out in your niche.

ORM vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

There are similarities between ORM vs. SEO, but there are also important differences.

* ORM is about controlling the content that appears in your search results.
* SEO is about promoting a specific website or page to the top of the search results.

The tactics you use and the way you measure success will differ for ORM vs. SEO.

While ORM covers all aspects of your reputation online, SEO refers specifically to your appearance in search engines. A good SEO strategy will boost your website to rank on the first page of Google, Bing, and other search platforms.

Protect Your Digital Image With Online Reputation Monitoring

Your reputation is always at risk. Negative reviews, negative search results, negative social comments — they can erase what you’ve worked so hard to achieve. So can arrest records, embarrassing mugshots and unflattering news coverage, unflattering coverage on news sites, or even embarrassing information like mugshots and arrest records can erase what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

What can you do to protect your reputation investment? The answer is reputation monitoring.

Using powerful automated monitoring tools, ORM professionals scan online content for any negative sentiment that appears. This is a proactive approach, allowing them to respond to potential threats before they can cause harm.

Social media monitoring is an integral part of the monitoring process; when ORM professionals monitor social media for social mentions, they use strategies to monitor brand mentions and customer sentiments. Remember that only one negative review or comment can erode everything that you’ve worked for. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why monitoring your presence online is so valuable.

Reputation monitoring can reveal new strategies and solutions, protect you from reputation-damaging threats, and increase visibility and engagement online. Monitoring can be used by businesses as well as individuals, including celebrities, CEOs, and anyone who wants to reach their personal or professional goals.

Choosing an Online Reputation Management Company

Reputation management is an essential digital marketing tool in today’s competitive marketplaces. Unfortunately, many smaller businesses do not have the resources or the experience needed to get the most from ORM. Here’s where a professional ORM team — including reputation management consultants and reputation management firms — can help.

Industry-leading reputation management firms customize solutions tailored to your unique needs and goals.

Along with the removal of negative content and addressing negative reviews, ORM consists of numerous services and strategies. Not all tactics are equal, and you might not know the best reputation management services to select. How can you choose a quality reputation management company to assist you with creating and maintaining your brand’s online reputation? Here are some tips:

• Read available reviews of the online reputation management agency. For instance, you might want to see reviews on third-party review sites before choosing a particular firm. Every positive review suggests that the company has produced the desired results for its clients. Negative reviews, on the other hand, suggest problems with the company and its ability to deliver the results you desire. This negative feedback should raise a red flag, indicating that their services are not all they’re cracked up to be. After all, if an ORM company’s online reputation is not great, how do you think they’ll be able to help you?

• Request an ORM case study that shares the services you need most. This will help you gauge the outcome you can expect. If you have case studies to use as examples, this would be a good place to link one or two of them.

• An online reputation manager can streamline your campaign. If the ORM service does not assign dedicated managers to each client, this may indicate a less-than-satisfactory outcome. With so much riding on your brand reputation, can you afford to miss out on the efficiency, guidance, and expertise of a case manager?

• Negative comments on social media can indicate problems with the company. Like any on social sites business, reviews are critical in helping you determine whether or not to do business with a given company. If a potential agency is being talked about negatively on social sites, chances are that they’re not the right solution for you.

• Explore the service provider’s first page for details about the services and packages they offer to clients. If they don’t have what you’re looking for — or offer bold promises that are hard to deliver — choose another company. Not every company offers personalized reputation management services. Specialty providers, however, can help you establish, build, and protect your internet reputation — opening new doors of opportunity for you.

• Speak to representatives from your shortlisted list of reputation management companies to get a feel for the company’s ability to help you improve your online image. The best ORM teams build personal relationships with clients, allowing them to understand your needs perfectly.

Contact Online Reputation Today

Online Reputation is a leading ORM company. Offering a range of personalized services, our team of reputation consultants has worked with thousands of clients, helping them to build brand awareness, monitor their online reputations, and repair reputations damaged by negative information in search results.

To learn more about our digital reputation management services, including powerful social media management, review management, and monitoring solutions for individuals and business owners, contact our team for a free consultation.

Launched in 2003,
OnlineReputation.com has served as the leading internet resource for online reputation management information for nearly 20 years. The company is owned by NetReputation, an industry-leading provider of cutting-edge reputation management services headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. OnlineReputation is committed to provide individuals, business owners, and professionals in the online reputation management (ORM) field with up-to-date information.