The Small Business Guide to Reputation Management SEO‍

You own a local business, and things have been going well so far. But you can't shake the feeling that you could do more to make your small shop become a popular go-to for customers.

Or, things have been going south. There are barely any clients at your front door, but you can't pinpoint exactly what you are doing wrong.

So, now you decide it’s time to get real with your marketing game. And you somehow found yourself stumbling on this blog, hoping to get answers.

Well, one thing’s for sure — you are in the right place.

For starters, have you ever tried searching for your brand on Google? Were you in the top results? Or did your brand name even show up on the first page?

If you said no, then we know exactly what you need to bring your small business to a new light. The solution? It’s Online Reputation Management for SEO.

What Is Online Reputation Management (ORM)?

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, once said that “identity will be the most valuable commodity for citizens of the future, and it will exist primarily online.”

True to his words, millions of people today consume a vast amount of content every second and every minute. The power of the internet has changed the way consumers take information and how businesses market and manage their reputations.

Time and time again, the internet continues to be an integral part of the business and consumer landscape.

It’s vital for brands to understand how to maximize their online presence and use this to their advantage to create a positive image that will draw in customers. Hence the importance of ORM to business owners.

In the past, businesses had to rely on word-of-mouth and traditional marketing to spread awareness about their brand. However, with the advent of the internet, brands have to be more conscious of their online reputation, and that's where Online Reputation Management comes in.

Online Reputation Management for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a strategic way of managing your online presence and ensuring that it is seen in the most positive light.

ORM is an invaluable tool that helps you boost your online visibility, protects your brand from negative publicity, increases customer trust, and drives more traffic and conversions to your website.

Why Does Online Reputation Management Matter?

Social media, blogs, third-party reviews websites, and other digital platforms are steadily growing in popularity. All of which are vital platforms to gain a brand following and potential customers. Hence, maintaining a solid online reputation is not only recommended. It’s a must if you want to keep up with your competitors.

Second, it actually impacts buying decisions. Most shoppers perform an online search before making a purchase. Product and service reviews often influence a buyer's decision and perception of your business. Depending on how your brand appears online, you could lose or gain customers in just a few clicks.

Third, it helps brands deal with negative reviews. Staying on top of your online reputation helps you turn negative reviews around. Being in the know of customer complaints and handling them well will result in a better online presence. On the other hand, letting negative reviews collect dust is a fast track to brand reputation disaster. This may even breed brand resentment among your consumers.

Lastly, it offers valuable feedback. ORM lets you know where your business is currently standing in the online competition. Knowing information like this helps in determining which course of action you should take next or what marketing strategies you should do.

How Do You Manage Your Through SEO?

1. Take control of the front page

If you want the best results, you'll want to own the top page of the search engine. We mean this in a literal sense. Ideally, the first five results in the search rankings should be controlled by you. Optimize your web pages, blogs, social media accounts, and other digital assets in the SERP.

But don’t just settle on owned media, though. Create a brand profile on review or industry comparison sites. Any and all digital platforms or tools that you can have some say over is essential for your reputation.

2. Make good use of social media

Social media has the advantage of high domain authority. That is why they're often the first to appear on search results. Moreover, the use of social media was at an all-time high during the height of the pandemic, which made it become a valuable tool to boost online reps.

3. Be active on review sites

Setting up a brand profile on review sites does come with a risk. One small mistake from you and people will flock and leave negative reviews about your brand.

However, if you don't have one, people won't be talking about your products anyway. It's also a waste of good visibility for your brand.

But this is also a chance for you to turn bad reviews around. Respond to customer comments to address negative feedback and, most importantly, to keep people talking about your brand and keep it on top of the search results.

4. Video marketing is the new king

People love short-form marketing like videos, and search engines know this. Videos are easy to watch and can deliver a brand's message better than other forms of marketing. People also prefer videos over long paragraphs of product descriptions.

No wonder, TikTok and YouTube are so popular. So, if you're trying to catch consumer attention fast, videos with high marketing quality are the way to go.

A quick tip: Choose long-tail keywords that generate the most traffic for your videos.

5. Set up a Google My Business Listing

By creating a listing on Google, you can make sure that potential customers are able to find you easily and quickly. It showcases your business information, such as location, contact details, opening hours, images, reviews, and more. It also helps in increasing the credibility of your business as it shows up on Google Maps and other search results.

Having a Google My Business Listing improves the overall SEO performance by providing more backlinks and improved local search rankings. All these factors combined together help in making sure that potential customers are able to find your brand when they are looking for services or products related to yours.

6. Utilize the image search rankings

Often, images are ignored when deliberating ORM efforts. However, they actually provide opportunities for your business to claim branded keywords, create authentic backlinks, and build a solid reputation.

Google has a dedicated SERP for image search results. So, when you upload images, do not forget to add alt, title, and caption text with strategic keywords.

The Four ORM Media Channels You Can Leverage

1. Paid media

Paid media is any form of online advertising or promotion that requires the payment of a fee. It is an incredibly powerful way to help shape the narrative of your brand and control your online reputation.

When used correctly, paid media can boost positive content, such as company reviews, positive blog posts, or press releases. It can also be used to reduce the visibility of negative content, such as bad reviews or unfavorable articles. 

So, if you are looking for a cost-effective way to get your message out there while also improving your online reputation, Google ads, social media ads, sponsored posts, and promotions by influencers might be the answer.

Also, keep in mind that paid media should be used to complement other ORM strategies, not replace them.

2. Earned media

Earned media does not require any direct investment. Instead, it relies on leveraging relationships, creating content, and engaging with customers to build a positive online presence.

For example, your brand may use social media to engage with customers, answer questions, and share valuable content. Or, you can reach out to influencers and media outlets to gain coverage in the form of interviews, blog posts, or reviews. 

This is an effective way to build trust with customers, demonstrate expertise, and increase visibility. However, to make the most of earned media, strategic content is important. If you plan on leveraging this on your ORM strategy, remember to create content that is relevant, interesting, and will keep customers well-engaged.

3. Shared media

Any brand content posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media is shared media. This type of media allows brands to control the conversations that take place about them online by engaging with their customers, responding to questions and concerns, and creating a positive online presence.

Pay close attention to your social media channels, especially negative feedback. Be sure to address them quickly. Unaddressed negative comments can seriously harm your online reputation and keep customers away.

4. Owned media

Owned media, as its name suggests, is any media you own. This includes websites, blogs, and social media accounts, as well as email marketing and other digital properties.

Owned media is also a valuable tool for managing an online reputation. Brands can use this to respond to negative feedback, as well as to promote positive reviews and content.

For instance, if your business receives negative reviews on social media, you can use your own channels to respond to the criticism and explain your position. This can help to mitigate the damage caused by negative reviews and show potential customers that your business is taking the issue seriously.

Similarly, if you receive positive reviews, you can use owned media channels to share them and thereby demonstrate the quality of your products or services.

Have You Experienced an SEO Reputation Management Damage?

You never know when this might happen to your brand. That is why being aware of your online reputation is essential to mitigate and deal with such unfortunate events.

“How should I prepare for this in case it actually happens?” Well, read on below to know the answer.

Plan a Crisis Management Strategy

Online reputation crisis happens without warning. Without a clear strategy, businesses can easily find themselves in hot water with customers and stakeholders. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prepare in advance.

An effective online crisis management strategy should include proactive steps to identify and address potential risks before they become a problem, as well as reactive steps to mitigate the damage caused by an online crisis. It should also consider how to respond quickly and appropriately when an online crisis arises.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Use media monitoring tools that will alert you of unexpected talks and conversations about your brand.

2. Stay updated with cultural changes, legislation changes, or technological advancements.

3. Know where to communicate with your audience. If the majority of your consumers gravitate to Facebook, then use Facebook as a primary channel to reach out to a wider audience.

4. Create drafts of your responses. This helps in quickly responding to and addressing negative customer reviews. However, make sure to still personalize every response, so it does not look insensitive to your customers.

By taking the time to plan out an effective online crisis management strategy, businesses can ensure that they are prepared for any situation that might arise and that their reputation remains intact.

Online Reputation Management for SEO in a Nutshell

In this digital age, it is more important than ever to ensure that your online reputation is managed well. It may sometimes be difficult to understand the nuances of online reputation management, but it is vital to ensure that your business is being portrayed in the best light possible.

ORM is crucial in shaping the narrative around your business. The more knowledge you have about your online reputation, the better you will be at improving your brand image.

It’s crucial to think about what your business looks like from the perspective of your customers. So, monitoring search results, keeping track of brand mentions, and optimizing all properties related to ORM should be a regular thing in your marketing schedule.