7 Ways to Quickly Take Control of Your Online Reputation
What is the current status of your online reputation? At first, you might think it's in pretty good shape; however, a simple search for your name or brand in Google might say otherwise!
The truth is, Google is going to be one of the biggest determining factors to how others first see and portray your personal and business reputation. The reason being that billions of searches are made on Google every day, and what ranks at the top of Google for anything is perceived as trustworthy and correct--even when it might not be.
To back up these statements, just look at the following recent surveys and reports:
- Local business reviews are read by 85 percent of consumers.
- 72 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- 33 percent of traffic from Google’s organic search results go to the first item listed.
In short, what ranks at the top of Google is going to deliver an immediate first impression to your audience. If your site or content isn't ranking in that first position, then your reputation might be up for grabs.
Through each of the seven methods listed below, you will be able to better secure your place at the top of the search results and also establish yourself as an expert in the process. Be sure to implement each of them as you see fit, but always be aware that online reputation management is something you will need to monitor, repair, and react to for the lifetime of your brand or business.
1. Start a Website or Blog
You need to have a main website or blog. This is going to act as the main hub of your brand and should rank number one in the search results for your personal or brand name. Not only will this site store the majority of your content, it will also connect your audience with any other site or social properties you might have.
2. Use Social Networks to Your Advantage
When it comes to ranking content in Google, few things are easier to rank than social profiles. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn rank extremely well for business and brand names. For this reason, you should create profile accounts for both your personal name and your brand name, then link them all back to your main website or blog.
3. Become an Established Thought Leader
Getting your name out there and showing off your expertise isn't just about building up your reputation, it's also about building a powerful brand around yourself as well. By becoming an established thought leader in your space, you can open up a whole new world of opportunity. Such benefits include getting media coverage, interviews on other sites, expert roundup posts, and much more.
If you aren't already an established expert within your space, one of the best ways to get started is through the use of guest blogging and guest contributions on other relevant sites.
4. Contribute Content to Other Industry Sites
There are currently over a billion active sites on the internet today. All of these websites need content, and many of them are looking for guest writers and experts to contribute to their sites. The benefit with guest blogging is that you can gain free exposure to a whole new audience and also potentially gain some backlinks to your site as well. A perfect example of a guest contribution would be this article you are reading here.
5. Claim Your Business in Google
Every local business should have its business claimed through Google. By connecting with Google and confirming the data and location of your business, you will see an improvement in local search rankings, while also having a verified listing within the search results. This is free to set up and can make a huge difference in local search rankings, user reviews, and incoming local business.
6. Build a Protective Wall Around Your Brand
The best way to protect your name and reputation in Google is to build a protective wall around your brand. This is essentially done by ranking for all 10 positions on Google for your name. A good example of this would be your main site as the first listing, social profiles in the next few spots, then interviews, guest blog posts, and media coverage in the last remaining spots. The more coverage you have on the main page of Google for your name, the better you can control your online reputation.
7. Monitor When and Where Your Name is Mentioned
Last but not least, when trying to protect your reputation online, it's all about monitoring, reacting, and repairing what is currently out there. Through tools like Google Alerts you can be notified every time a new mention of your name or brand is indexed into Google. There are also plenty of premium tools and tracking services out there for advanced monitoring across social networks, review sites, and forums. Bottom line, you must know when, where, and why your brand is being mentioned online.
You now have a solid blueprint for protecting your reputation online. Take what you've discovered here today and implement them into your business and marketing efforts immediately!
