Source: Unsplash | Joseph Gruenthal
Maybe you already understand the importance of engaging in online reputation repair for your company. Perhaps you’re also aware of search engine optimization and how it can lead to major growth. But did you know that these two essential business strategies can be combined for optimal results?
How SEO and Reputation Repair Related
As you already know, SEO involves strategic planning and practices for boosting a website’s ranking on search engine results. Almost all businesses of the world have invested in SEO in one way or another, even small mom-and-pop businesses with a small local following. Needless to say, when your website ranks above the competitions’, you have a major advantage.
Ranking high for positive content is the first step in online reputation repair. The keyword here is positive, since you obviously aren’t hoping to rank high for the negative feedback or scandalous stories surrounding the company. When it comes to SEO for reputation repair, the main goal is to outrank any negative content with positive content instead.
Tips for Using SEO in Online Reputation Repair
Now that we’ve covered how SEO and online reputation management relate to each other, it is time to get into the specifics. Before any SEO tactics can be enforced, you must fully understand how to engage in SEO as it relates to repairing a reputation. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Always Use the Full Company Name in Positive Content
There is no use in creating positive content about your company if you don’t even include the company name within the content. Tip #1 is to always include the company name in any positive content. Avoid using short form nicknames or abbreviations for the company, but use the entire official name wherever you can.
There’s a good chance that any negative content about your company found on the world wide web contains the full name of the business. So combat this negativity with positivity. You’d be surprised by how many company leaders create positive content in response to reputation damage, only to forget the company name within the content.
Start Engaging in Link Building if You Haven’t Already
Link building is one of the main aspects of optimizing a site’s ranking, and it is especially useful in the event of a tarnished reputation. Link building is essentially just the practice of building more respect (also called authority) with Google and other search engines. By building the number of links leading to webpages of your site, the more authority you’ll have. More authority means better ranking.
Link building for reputation repair is even more important than link building solely to build authority. When a reputation needs repairing, it is more important than ever to come off as a reputable and well-respected source. And how is that possible? By building the number of links found all throughout the internet leading to your website. If you’re unsure about how to use link building, you can consult with either a professional SEO agency or reputation management firm.