What is Reputation Management?
Performing a Google search of your name is perfectly normal—everyone’s done it. But what if you do that search and find something you don’t like? It could be something that makes you or your business look bad, like an embarrassing college picture or a negative review.
These negative search results can be damaging in countless ways. Reputation management is all about maintaining and fixing the impression people have of you online. Sometimes, that means making a sweep of Google and removing your name from search results. You may not know this is possible, but reputation management professionals do that and more.
The Basics
Some online consultants and specialists focus solely on helping people manage how people see them online. The internet has a story to tell about you or your business, and you can tweak and influence it.
While you may know who you are, your values, and what you represent, the internet can give off a different impression. A search on the internet is how most people learn about others. It’s important to know what the internet says about you.
Reputation management, or online reputation management (ORM), is the practice of influencing and changing how others perceive you when they conduct that online search. It involves taking active steps to shape your online story and character.
Your online reputation can be good or bad. If you search and find a lot of false, negative information, a reputation management specialist can help you fix it. For instance, you may want to remove your name from Google Search results to undo some of the harm of negative messages.
Why It’s Important
Most people learn about others through an internet search. While this may be relatively unimportant for the acquaintance you just met at the coffee shop, other searches have higher stakes. Potential employers, for instance, are likely to look you up online. They’ll do a Google search and check your social media sites to get an impression of you.
If you run an online business or have a small business with an online presence, your reputation matters. A bad review can be devastating, especially if it’s unfair or unwarranted. You can lose clients and profits. A negative online reputation can even sink your business.
This isn’t all about professional reputation. Your personal reputation matters too. You may think what you post in your personal life, on social media, is just for you and friends. Everything online, personal and professional, comes together to shape an impression of you. A wrong impression can be detrimental to your professional life but also your personal relationships.
False Information
Fair and truthful bad reviews or statements are one thing, but to face lies aimed at hurting your reputation is another. It’s upsetting to find false information and to see it spread like wildfire. Lies about you online can actually be grounds for taking legal action:
- Defamation – Defamation is a false statement that harms or damages someone’s reputation. Defamation is considered a tort, a type of personal injury. You may be able to sue for damages if you can prove someone is liable for the harm a defamatory statement online caused.
- Slander – Slander is defamation that is spoken. Online, this can include a statement made in a video or chat.
- Libel – Libel is a written defamatory statement. Many defamatory statements online are considered libel.
Combatting false information and defamation requires quick action. You may not be interested in suing anyone, but you can still act with a reputation management professional to correct it. The longer you wait, the faster the lies will spread and the more damage they can cause.
Take Control
It’s easy to assume what the internet has to say about you is set in stone, but it’s not. You can take control of your online reputation in several ways:
- Focus on Google’s Front Page – Most people only ever look at the first search page, so if you remove harmful information there, it’s a big step toward a better online reputation.
- Create a Personal Brand – You don’t have to have a business or be an influencer to have a brand. Think about how you want people to perceive you and work on your reputation, keeping that in mind.
- Clean Up Your Social Media – Go through all of your profiles and remove any damaging or embarrassing content or pictures. This may require reaching out to other people and asking them to remove posts about you.
- Build a Personal Website – Create a blog in line with your brand to create positive search results.
- Work with a Professional Reputation Management Specialist – If you need to get your name out of Google search, you cannot do it alone.
Manage Your Reputation Now
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of acting quickly. The longer you let a bad reputation sit online, the more harm it causes. If you aren’t sure where to start, contact a reputation management professional for advice.
