Public relations professionals know that it is more difficult nowadays to keep one’s positive reputation because even a very slight oversight can instantly spell serious damage to the brand’s credibility. And if you have your very own business, here are 5 things you must do to manage your reputation online.

1. Always start with a bulletproof brand

It is exceptionally rare to see a brand not having any bad publicity in its lifetime. However, what separates the good from the bad is the presence of a strong foundation. That is why even if bad PR occurs after bad PR, these companies manage to stay well ahead of competition for the simple fact that their brand has been built in solid, bulletproof foundation. As such, if you really want to manage your reputation online, it is best to start by building a highly credible brand.

1. Be objective when handling online issues

Regardless of how cruel the negative publicity you are facing, it is best not to stoke it further by going on the defensive. This is a lot easier said, of course. Reading negative comments about your brand will surely fire you up to defend your company. Emotions typically flare up in such instances. Sadly, as emotions shoot skywards, objectivity is lost. The result? Bigger problems for your company. This is no way to manage your reputation.

1. Do reverse SEO

Everyone knows SEO. But perhaps only a few know what reverse SEO is, although this strategy is employed by many brands to manage their respective online issues. If the goal of SEO is to bring a particular URL on page one of the SERPs, the goal of reverse SEO is exactly the opposite. It will attempt to dislodge whatever negative write-up about your brand that is on page one of the SERP towards the latter pages, hopefully towards page 10 or even 100. You are essentially strengthening all the positive things about your brand to be placed on page 1 while pushing the negative issues further afield.

1. Keep track of customer reviews

You may need a team that is solely dedicated to monitoring a variety of customer review platforms especially those that are related to your business. The idea is to be fully aware of the existence of a potentially devastating customer review. Whatever you do, you need to act decisively and promptly, but in a constructive manner. Remember what we said about not stoking the fires of discontent further.

1. Set up social listening tools

Most consumers don’t actually make reviews of your brand. Instead, they go to social media platforms where they can share with the rest of the world their disgust over your brand. Again, you’ll need a team monitoring these social media sites so you can easily get in touch with dissatisfied customers and request them to solve the issue in a more private environment.

Managing your reputation online is a very tricky endeavor. But if you adhere to these 5 things then you can hurdle any negative publicity that is thrown your way.

If you want or need help with your online reputation and positive SEO, we can help. Reach out to us and don't hesitate to scan your reputation with our super powerful online reputation scanner.