Online Reputation Management
Your online reputation is made up of a number of key parts - what your business posts online, both on your website and social media, as well as what others are saying about you or your brand. The comparative visibility of the positive versus negative content likewise impacts the picture that audiences get about your business.
Protecting and improving your online reputation, much like exercise, is something that needs to be done consistently for best results. If you’re only taking action when an incident arises, you run the risk of it being less effective. Building a strong reputational foundation for your business does not just happen overnight, so the best time to have started working on your online reputation was the day you began your business. The next best time is today. Get in touch with the ASTRAnomicals and learn how we can take your digital presence far beyond the ordinary.
Why Your Online Reputation Matters
Think like a customer: If you’re searching for certain products or services, you want to know what other people think of it. From a psychological standpoint, such social proof helps people feel more confident in their decision-making. Studies have shown that almost 80% of consumers always look up a business online before making a purchase. In the days before the internet, businesses could only rely on word of mouth, or perhaps a review in the papers. Today, digital platforms mean that almost any customer’s voice can have a long term impact on your business, whether it’s a negative Yelp review that goes viral, or a glowing blog post that consistently refers business to you. What customers say is no longer just feedback for you, but a signal for other potential customers to steer clear, or happily engage with your business. Managing this proactively helps to ensure that potential customers see the version of your business that you want them to see.
As a customer, how often do you conduct an extremely thorough search of every piece of information a company has online? If you’re like most other consumers, you’ll just check the most obvious places for reviews, like Google or Yelp. For certain businesses, this could also mean a professional ratings website like RealSelf for aesthetic procedures, or Amazon reviews if you have products listed on that site. Burying your positive reviews in the bowels of your website makes them less visible, and therefore of less consequence. If positive content about your business can’t be found where prospective customers are searching, you’re losing out.
Your online reputation also affects the overall digital visibility of your entire business. The Google algorithm prizes high authority content to rank search results, and reviews posted to their platform plays a key role in where you might appear in search results. Ensuring that you have a positive digital reputation means you’re more likely to be seen as a “trustworthy” source, and rank more highly as a result.
Reputation Management is NOT Just About Removing Negative Reviews
Most businesses only begin to consider digital reputation management services when they receive negative reviews online, or have received negative coverage tarnishing their brand name. If you’re here, and are looking for a team that can help you quickly implement a coordinated response, rest assured that we have the expertise to minimize the visibility of negative content, while promoting positive news and reviews instead. We have helped our clients on everything from simple issues like thoughtfully responding to negative reviews and removing fake reviews, to pushing negative news, articles and videos to distant back pages on search where they’re far less likely to be seen. However, once the situation is fixed, it is important to continue making the most of your digital presence. This can look like creating new content that ranks well and positions your business in a more positive light, or utilizing your existing base of customers who love you as digital advocates for your brand.
The most effective digital reputation management works seamlessly online and offline - beyond protecting your brand or business image in the digital realm, online reputation management can also help you garner valuable customer feedback in order to deliver outstanding customer service, and even discover new avenues to drive traffic to your business. Part of good online reputation management includes social listening, which can uncover exactly what people are saying about you and your competitors. Understanding what truly brings your customers satisfaction as well as their pain points, can help further differentiate you from other businesses.
Put Your Best Face Forward
If you’re thinking of hiring an SEO agency for your local or national business, it’s best to do so sooner rather than later. What you do now will pay off months (and years) down the road. Our team will be happy to perform a complimentary SEO audit for your website, to see where improvements can be made. Whether you need a brand new website from scratch or already have a well-established site that just isn’t performing in terms of SEO as you’d like, contact us today.
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