Search Engine Reputation Management

Warren Buffet, American businessman, investor, and philanthropist, said, 'It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.' Today, thinking about your reputation requires businesses to be astute at search engine reputation management.

Trackur, an online reputation monitoring site, estimates that the search engine reputation management (SERM) industry is a $100 million a year business, with sharp growth projected for the next several years. This is because more and more businesses and individuals are realizing the importance of monitoring and maintaining their brand and names online. A good reputation attracts and retains customers, cushioning businesses in even hard economic times. A poor reputation, on the other hand, can lead to devastating losses in revenue and customer bases. With over one billion people using the internet and the popularity of blogs, forums, consumer websites, and other public opinion sites, it is imperative that businesses monitor what is being said about them online and respond promptly to any negative press.

There are two approaches to search engine reputation management that, when used in conjunction, are most effective: being proactive and trying to prevent problems before they start and reacting to an issue. The key is to start early, respond promptly, and take control of the issue.

Dealing with your reputation proactively involves monitoring what is being published about you online. This doesn't mean only in news articles - it encompasses blogs, opinion forums, consumer sites, and more. Often, what is written about you or your company in a blog can spread quickly and become hard to contain. You can monitor your online reputation by conducting searches on your name, signing up for Google Alerts or working with a strong search engine reputation management company. Beyond monitoring, you can also optimize your website content and add new, positive content frequently to keep your business at the top of search engine rankings. Consider starting your own blog, creating a MySpace or Facbook profile, using subdomains, and more.

Despite your best efforts, though, it is sometimes necessary to take defensive action to protect your reputation. Again, responding promptly is best. Determine if the complaint or negative comment is true and deserved. If so, take steps to correct it. Post a response on blogs and your company website. Don't try to hide from the problem. If the negative publicity is undeserved and false, step up your efforts to optimize and add good content. This will increase your search engine ranks and decrease the efficacy of the negative content.

Reputation is extremely important in the business world; it can mean succeeding or failing. It is worth the time and effort it takes to commit to search engine reputation management. Take a moment to contact us today to see how we can help.