| Reputation management is the ongoing process of | | | | reputation management. The quality of the web sites |
| protecting a company or product's reputation online. | | | | with links to your site matters more than the number |
| The main element in this process is to ensure that | | | | of sites linking to yours. In other words, it pays to be a |
| damaging articles, reviews, or comments stay off the | | | | little picky about which sites can post links to your site. |
| first page of results produced by search engines. This | | | | The more reputable they are, the better standing your |
| may be accomplished by several different methods or | | | | own web site will receive in search results. |
| means. | | | | It is also important to maintain a blog of some sort. |
| First is the standard Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | | | | Blogs are a constant and fresh voice for your |
| method. One method of moving negative links farther | | | | company, and frequent and regular posts help spread |
| down the list search results is to move other links up. | | | | positive information quickly. They help customers feel |
| To this end, companies often hire SEO writers to | | | | more connected to your business or industry. Blogs |
| produce short, informative articles that incorporate | | | | also tend to rank well with search engines, which helps |
| specific keywords relevant to the company or its | | | | push negative links farther down and, hopefully, off the |
| products. The more articles a company can publish, the | | | | first few pages. |
| higher its web site will appear in the list of search | | | | A common misconception is that it is important to have |
| results. | | | | a Wikipedia page for your business. However, even |
| Another important method is to utilize social media. | | | | though Wikipedia articles almost always show up at |
| These days it is important for companies to have | | | | the top of the list of search results, they are also easy |
| profiles on social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, | | | | targets for anyone wishing to defame or discredit your |
| Twitter, and many others. Actively maintaining social | | | | company. A much safer idea is to create your own |
| media profiles is an excellent reputation management | | | | wiki, which allows you to control what gets published |
| resource for spreading positive information about one's | | | | concerning your industry or company. |
| company or product. Social media profiles are also an | | | | By utilizing these methods of reputation management, |
| excellent means for gauging customer reaction and | | | | businesses can minimize or eliminate the damage done |
| satisfaction, which helps businesses evaluate their | | | | by negative articles, reviews, or comments that may |
| performance and make needed changes. | | | | appear online. |
| Managing hotlinks is another important method of | | | | |