When was the last time you searched Google for your name? Or your company’s name? Do the search results show positive things about you or your company’s brand? Are there negative reviews or negative things being said about you or your company? You may need online reputation management ORM if you don’t like what’s showing up in the search results.
Did you know that in the majority of cases it is possible to change what appears in the search results?
When I was a search engine marketing manager, and when I ran a digital marketing agency, the first thing I did when I got a resume on my desk was to query Google for the person’s name. As it appeared on the resume, I put it in the searchengine to see the listings. In some cases, I threw the resume in the trash because of what I saw in the search results! In other cases, I made my decision on whether or not I wanted to hire them based on the results (well, not really, but it was a strong influence).
When you are composing your resume, make sure that you query for your name in Google. What shows up is important. It should look good–and you should see your website, your social media profiles, and photos of you. If you don’t, then you need to contact me so we can work on your online reputation.
What is Online Reputation Management?
What is online reputation management (ORM)? ORM is a strategy of dealing with the management of what is being said about you or your company’s brand online. One major concern for companies and individuals is what shows up on the search results when you query for a company name or when you search at a search engine. ORM is a service that attempts to make sure that when someone searches for a name or a company name, positive results show up. This is done in two different ways:
- The person or company performing the ORM attempts to suppress the negative or unflattering search engine results listings.
- The person or company performing the ORM creates positive pages and mentions that can rank well in the results.
Online reputation management (ORM) agencies and consultants typically have several different “methods” that they employ to deal with suppressing the negative or unflattering listings. Some of those techniques or methods are good, and some of those methods are, in fact, somewhat evil. I won’t go into details of the methods used, but you should be aware that some firms tend to use alternative methods that can be evil. Many ORM agencies and services, such as myself, only use above-board methods, and it’s those ORM agencies and consultants that you’ll want to deal with. Ones that are transparent with you, describing everything that they will do. They should also tell you what they’re doing, any URLs of pages that they’re creating, and soforth.
Is ORM Different than SEO?
So where does ORM differ from SEO? Well, to begin with, the concept of reputation management, SEO, is a form of online advertising. It simply means that the agency is going to use search engine optimization techniques to promote their clients’ name online. A business may utilize this same strategy to gain higher rankings in the results pages of search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, or others. Since so many companies on the web use a searchengine, that is often the first thing that people look for when searching for a business.
However, if you have negative information about you, you can reach this same point in a lot of situations. Often the individual that has the negative information is not able to provide evidence of their claims. This is why it is so important to hire an agency that is very effective at removing all forms of negative information on the internet.
Another aspect of this that is important is that the business should get involved from the beginning of the process and not just after the fact. Most business owners realize that negative information is as much of a problem as negative information about them. In fact, the worst part about this is that many times, the only way to get rid of it is to hire an agency.
Online Reputation Management (ORM) Example
Let’s look at another specific example of ORM.
For one financial company, what was said about them online was extremely critical. Before someone invested a lot of money with them, many potential customers typically do some research about the financial company. Several years ago, there was a lawsuit brought against the financial company. After a year or so, the lawsuit was eventually dismissed because the claims against the financial company were deemed to be untrue. However, when you queried for the company name, someone had posted a copy of the lawsuit online. And documentation regarding the lawsuit remained online. Through my work, not only was I able to push the content related to the lawsuit off of the first page of the results when you searched for the financial company’s name.
Are you looking for a job? As I just mentioned, did you know that many potential employers search for your name before they decide to hire you or not? Certainly, that’s not a big issue if you have a very common name. But, if your name is unique and you don’t like the search results when you query a keyword like one for your name then get in touch with me. I can help you with your online reputation.
Whether you are a business and do not currently like the search results that appear when you query for your company name or whether you are a job seeker wanting to make sure that good search results appear when you query for your name, I can help you with all of your needs.
Personal Online Reputation Management Services
One of the things that I specialize in is online reputation management services for individuals. While I also do help companies with their ORM problems, those can take a lot longer to deal with and repair.
The difference between me, Bill Hartzer, working on your online visibility, is the fact that I put a more personalized ORM together for you, the individual. My strategy, as well, for companies, is personalized.
When it comes to ORM firms, though, the best visibility and changes to your online visibility can come from a consultant, not a company. Why? It comes down to the strategy itself. The same with any other marketing, SEO strategy, or other project plan. Many firms tend to use the same process for all of their clients: that can work for a few of their clients, but not all. What if you were a dentist, and you used that same mold for every patient? Most likely that mold that you use to align your patients’ teeth would only work for a few patients. It wouldn’t work for others, and could cause issues in the long run. It’s the same for online reputation management.
Let’s Talk About Your Online Reputation
Online visibility and search engine rankings and listings can be confusing. Talk to someone who has over 20 years of website marketing experience, combined with several years of experience. Talk to someone who can steer you in the right direction, not just someone who is going to try to “sell you” their services.
I will be happy to provide you with no obligation price quote for Online Reputation Management and help you fully understand the process and the costs involved. If you’d like more information about how much it costs, then read my post about the cost and pricing of ongoing services. The costs will vary depending on how much work needs to be done. And, it’s typically an ongoing monthly engagement–you’ll need to expect at least 3-6 months of work, maybe even longer, until you see great results.