Searching for yourself on Google or any other search engine is a daunting prospect that most people will understandably try to avoid. Most people have the luxury of avoiding having to do so, but for those with a reputation to uphold, it can be a necessity. Those people are usually the ones with businesses that need to have a great reputation to attract and retain customers. But a negative review or two can put all of their efforts to waste. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent a good, hard-earned reputation from getting tarnished and ways to restore a reputation that has been damaged by pushing down the negative search results to the uncharted depths of the search engines.
At On The Map Marketing, we are masters of reputation management and can help keep the shine on the reputation of any company. So if you need help managing your reputation, then we are the ones to call, but there are some actions that you can take to bolster your reputation and make it harder for others to take you down. And those actions involve taking them down. But not in a violent way. We mean taking them down to the lower regions of the search rankings by making smart decisions that can keep your rep as strong as possible.
Manage Your Public Profile
By taking control of your public profile, you can greatly influence what people first encounter when they search for your name online. There are dozens of popular social media platforms where you can create a profile and post content for all to see. Make sure that all of those profiles are available for public viewing and make sure to only post content that can’t be weaponized against you later on. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Quora, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Reddit are highly ranked places where you can create a public profile that will likely show up first when people search for your name.
Express Yourself Online
A bunch of social media posts are not the only way to get yourself noticed online; you can post replies in public forums under your real name as well. Remember that you want as many positive associations with your name as possible since that drives down all the negative ones. So getting your name out there as much as possible helps, and replying to posts in places like news articles can only help you. However, you don’t have to reply to every possible article you can find, since it is unlikely that you have the time or willpower to do so. Instead, stick to articles that have relevance to you or your business.
Interlink Your Profiles
Link building is one of the methods we use on websites to increase their authority and you can use similar techniques to build up your reputation. You can do this by linking your various profiles to each other. For example, if you reply to something on Reddit, you can link to something you wrote on Quora; you can link your Twitter post to a Linkedin post, and so on.
You can also link multiple sites to one profile, all of which can help those profiles rise in the rankings. You can boost those rankings even further by replying to other people and including links to those other profiles in your replies. That will increase the likelihood that others will link to your profiles as well, which can help increase your rankings.
Reclaim Any Negative Keyword Associations
In many cases when there are negative results involving your name, there are likely to be certain keywords associated with them. You can find those keywords and create a positive association with them by creating posts or articles that include those keywords. That makes it more likely that when those keywords come up in someone’s search, your posts are likely to show up before the negative ones. That helps to raise your profile and push down the negative results associated with those keywords.
Take Control of Your Reputation
All of these are fairly simple ways in which you can create and manage a positive online reputation. They don’t take too much effort and they don’t cost anything so you don’t have anything to lose by trying them. But sometimes even your best efforts are not enough to turn back the tide of negativity associated with your name. Should that happen, you can contact us at On The Map Marketing and we will make sure that your reputation is restored and that any and all associations with your name are positive ones.
Article by Valeria Nunez
I graduated in international business and marketing from Florida international university before starting as a CSM and SEO account manager at On The Map Marketing in 2017. Now I’m the client strategy director, leading a team of eight customer success managers — and have overseen hundreds of successful SEO campaigns for our clients. Outside of marketing, I love playing Tennis, watching sports, traveling, and meeting new people.
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As a seasoned expert in online reputation management and digital marketing, my comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience empower me to navigate the intricate landscape of online presence effectively. I have successfully guided individuals and businesses through the complexities of maintaining a positive online reputation, mitigating negative search results, and strategically enhancing their digital footprint.
The article you've provided offers valuable insights into the realm of online reputation management, shedding light on crucial concepts that contribute to shaping a positive online image. Let's break down the key concepts covered in the article:
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Importance of Online Reputation for Businesses: The article underscores the significance of maintaining a positive online reputation, especially for businesses that rely on a strong public perception to attract and retain customers. It emphasizes the potential impact of negative reviews on hard-earned reputations.
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Reputation Management Services: The mention of "On The Map Marketing" positions them as experts in reputation management. The article suggests that they specialize in preventing reputational damage and restoring a tarnished reputation. This highlights the existence of professional services dedicated to managing and optimizing online reputations.
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Public Profile Management: The article advises individuals and businesses to take control of their public profiles on various social media platforms. It stresses the importance of ensuring that these profiles are publicly accessible and that the content posted is positive and cannot be weaponized against them later.
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Online Expression and Engagement: The article recommends actively expressing oneself online through social media posts and participation in public forums. Positive associations with one's name are encouraged, and selective engagement with relevant articles or discussions is suggested to maximize the impact.
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Profile Interlinking: Drawing parallels with link building in website SEO, the article proposes interlinking various profiles across different platforms. This tactic aims to increase the authority of individual profiles, boost rankings, and create a network of positive associations.
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Reclaiming Negative Keywords: The article acknowledges that negative search results often involve specific keywords. It suggests a proactive approach by creating content that includes those keywords with a positive context. This strategy aims to influence search results and elevate positive content over negative associations.
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Proactive Reputation Management: The article concludes by emphasizing the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the suggested strategies. It encourages individuals and businesses to proactively manage their online reputation and provides an option to seek professional assistance from On The Map Marketing if needed.
In summary, the article provides actionable insights for anyone looking to manage and enhance their online reputation, covering a spectrum of strategies from proactive profile management to advanced techniques like interlinking and keyword association. The presence of a professional service further reinforces the importance of expert guidance in the field of online reputation management.
