By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-09-11 21:56:48 | Word Count: 664
As business owners, the Internet has impacted us in innumerable ways. A virtual explosion of websites has given consumers unparalleled access to information. Instant access to customer reviews as well as social media sites and forums have created an environment in which consumers can investigate companies, products and prices. These same tools have made posting complaints, valid or not, equally easy. Web Reputation Management is necessary to effectively deal with these new sources of comments to build a positive image, further promote brand recognition, and when necessary, respond to and directly deal with negative comments of all kinds.
Reputation Management, proactively, involves SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO focuses on getting top rankings for keywords and phrases entered by searchers online. A major process of SEO is the creation, implementation and syndication of fresh, non-duplicate content. It is the continual process that actually works to manage reputation on the web.
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However, if you are not actively engaged in SEO and you become aware of negative or even malicious comments, the need for Web Reputation Management becomes urgent.
The first axiom of web reputation management is that the Internet is forever. Comments and posts remain a part of cyberspace indefinitely, creating an even greater need for addressing especially difficult comments and posts.
Particularly damaging posts that cannot be addressed otherwise must be made to effectively disappear. Poor reviews, customer complaints and competitor smear comments must be vigorously dealt with. Web Reputation Management processes first work to remove and / or refute negative posts and publicity as you would do in “real world.” However, it is often necessary, and urgent, to effectively compete with and push down i.e. make less visible those negative comments. This can only be done through aggressive and exhaustive implementation of great content that will be seen in the eyes of Google as even more relevant to the keyword or phrase being searched. Where an effective SEO campaign, by definition is designed to outpoint any negativity by being more relevant / dominant on the search engines, Web Reputation Management needs to be urgently aggressive in the absence of an in-place SEO strategy.
Effective Web Reputation Management begins with SEO. Crafting content that is engaging, informative and positive attacks negative press on two fronts. First, as an integral part of SEO, content helps drives search engine rankings. Second, it provides consumers with a counterpoint to any negative press they may encounter. Research and an active campaign to combat negative press items will allow an online business owner to effectively increase their visibility, visitor counts, conversion rates and their overall reputation.
Web Reputation Management and SEO therefore are ongoing processes. Proactive measures, in the form of content and press releases may form the basis for developing a positive reputation, but reactive measures are equally important. Optimum7’s Web Reputation Management strategy and approach provides workable solutions for even the most determined negative press. When combined with SEO, Reputation Management is one of the most effective ways to increase your ROI (Return On Investment).
Don’t wait until your negative press effectively buries you on page three of the search results page, start looking at your current reputation status today. Call us … we can help!
You can call us at 1-800-736-9618.
