By: Dennis Paul | December 6, 2018

The 3 Key Elements of Online Reputation Management – Understanding Reputation Services

The 3 Key Elements of Online Reputation Management – Understanding Reputation Services

Reputation is defined as “the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.” It may sound like a simple concept, but there are many components to an individual or business’s reputation. There are three key elements of online reputation management. Reputation Management aims to ensure that the positive image of an individual or corporation is in line with the predetermined goals of their campaign. 

Why does Online Reputation Matter?

For both individuals and businesses, a positive online reputation encourages awareness, credibility, and trust. Businesses that develop a strong reputation experience an increase in sales and revenue.

The harm of bad reputation affects a wide range of services and individuals.  A poor reputation can result in a loss of relationships, lack of opportunities, and even business failure.

A reputation management firm can create a strong online reputation for a brand by focusing on each of these three key areas.

The 3 Key Elements of Online Reputation Management

1. Reputation Monitoring:

Professional reputation management consultants approach each business or individual’s reputation strategy based on their individual needs. Evaluating your current online presence is essential. A reputation expert uses the results of this type of assessment to create a customized reputation monitoring plan. Since the goal of online reputation management is to maintain a positive image across all media networks, those networks must be monitored regularly for activity. This element is key in determining actions to be taken in reputation repair and reputation building. Reputation Monitoring can include routine evaluations of social media platforms, examining search result rankings, and tracking relevant press. Reputation Monitoring is centralized around continually assessing the way you are perceived online.

2. Reputation Repair: 

Reputation repair is the act of suppressing harmful content in online search results. When a reputation management firm has put a reputation repair strategy in place, any internet search regarding you or your company should yield only positive results on the first two pages. Research shows that websites on the first page of Google results receive almost 95% of search traffic. Proper reputation repair contains negative assets and keeps them hidden for years to come. If you are repairing your reputation on your own, you should focus on deleting any harmful content that is removable, such as untagging Facebook images or deleting out-of-date profiles or posts. You can suppress unremovable content (move it lower and in Google Search Results) by creating new positive content and activity with Reputation Building.

3. Reputation Building:

Reputation Building is the proactive element of Reputation Management. Reputation building works by creating positive content to enhance your reputation online. Reputation repair alone won’t cultivate a strong online reputation. Optimizing this new positive content is key. Reputation Building markets the type of material that best describes your predetermined goals. What is the image you would like to portray? Continually creating content that alines with your brand can help prevent those negative assets from rising to the top of search results. When you create content that reflects your brand, it is as if you are building a line of defense against any new negative information that may surface. Reputation consultants assist in developing this type of authentic press for you or your brand.

What is the difference between a traditional PR Firm and an Online Reputation Management Company?

Traditional PR firms work to get a client good press coverage. They can also help a client respond to press, or “spin” a story. Top level PR firms have good writers, strong relationships, and are experts and branding and image.

Then you have SEO based ORM (Online Reputation Management) firms. The simplest of these firms only look at search engine results and use a basic algorithm to push down negative or unwanted content.

Is your online reputation in need of defense, management, repair, or building? Interested in learning more about Online Reputation Management services? Let us give you a FREE reputation assessment. Call 888-805-4121 today.