We live in a digital world, one that shares information instantly at the click of a button.
Because of that, it is more important than ever to manage and maintain your reputation. A company’s reputation can help to keep them thriving and in business for decades or be the deciding factor in their demise. No longer will customers simply tell their friends and family of a bad experience with a company – they will post to social media or internet review sites for all the world to see.
Online reputation management is key for today’s business owners. So, what exactly is it? Have you ever seen that negative review on Yelp and thought, “I wonder how long that is going to be there and affect the public perception of this company?” The real answer is that it will be there for the life of Yelp. Same is true about all digital outlets. Online reputation management is basically digital PR. It helps companies continue to shine in a positive light while pushing the negatives down to a lower placement.
Good reputation managers will strategically use SEO to help display information that a company wants to be seen, while essentially burying the negatives deeper into the web. This means that if you go to Google and search a company, that negative article written last month may not show up until page 8. Nobody ever makes it to page 8 of search results.
Methods can also include strategies to boost positive reviews on sites like Yelp, Facebook and Google. The thought process is similar to manipulating Google search results in that you want your positive reviews to be seen at the top of the list.
The most important thing to remember is that your online reputation lasts forever. If I hear about a bad experience about a retailer from a friend, I am not likely to pass that story along to the next. If it is on the internet, however, information passes itself along naturally the the interconnection of people and places. If you aren’t currently managing your online reputation, you need to consider bringing in an expert. Contact Omni Public today to find out more.
