SEO ranking is the building block for all online reputation management. Brands can optimize their offline and online SEO footprint by leveraging relationships, content and link building to create the best experience for their users and appease search engine bots.
As technology improves, more businesses are realising that SEO is more than just site ranking and when managed properly, it can build your online reputation. Whatever happens to your brand online affects it offline, which makes it important to use all available tools to mitigate problems before they happen.
5 SEO tips for managing online reputation
- Cultivate the right social media account
Brands tend to make several mistakes regarding reputation management. One is registering an account with too many sites. A better option is to build a solid profile on popular platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Registering a profile isn’t enough. You have to post relevant content regularly, interact with you followers, get users to talk about your content and follow the conversation for it to influence your reputation. You can outrank top sites and earn external links by being active on important online communities such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. For example if you Google someone’s name you will see that the most active accounts rank high, often the case for well known people as they will have busy media profiles that will have been naturally linked to from other sites.
- Improve ranking with web content
Search engines love great content because it helps them to provide users with precise answers to questions. Sites that produce quality content receive lots of traffic because search engines trust their content. Start by adding content to your social media properties and websites. Posts should be 500 words with at least 5 pages on your site to start gaining traction from search engines. Share pages on your social media accounts to boost everything at the same time.
- Monitor your online mentions with the right software
You don’t have to type your brand name into a Google search page to find your ranking results. There is powerful software available to automate the process and inform you about new mentions. Google Alerts is a free tool that performs this job efficiently. Other advanced tools include Trackur, Mention.net, Brand Yourself and Vizibility. They make the process easier for a small fee.
- Respond to social media mentions
According to Simon Wadsworth, Managing Partner at Igniyte Online Reputation Management Company, he says: “Don’t be satisfied with people simply mentioning your brand, find out the how and why to respond to statements. Listen to them and talk to them.” This is why more businesses are investing in reputation management desks: to keep an eye on social mentions on a regular basis.
- Become an authority – to reach a wider audience
The Internet provides a platform for customers to express their thoughts through online reviews and forums. It also offers channels for experts and individuals to establish their authority and expertise through platforms like Entrepreneur, Forbes, Searchengineland, smallbiztrends and other such websites. Free content for the popular sites and free exposure and branding for businesses trying to establish authority in their niche. It’s a win-win.
And finally …
The first rule of reputation management is to own and control your own listings. Get your site and web pages linked to reputable sites, post regular content on your blog with length ranging from 1,000-2,500 words and always remember to monitor and respond to online mentions.
