Faqs

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to change search results and fix a damaged online reputation?

It’s a stressful moment when you search your name or business online and right on the first page is content that you’d prefer the public didn’t see. You want it removed from the public eye as quickly as possible, right? We’d like to do that for you.

How long the process takes depends on a lot of factors:

Is there a lot of negative content to get rid of?
Where is the content hosted?
Is it on someone’s blog? On a review site? On social media? On a government-owed site?
Is there a lot of negative content on all these sites combined?
And many other factors.

We have to take all these factors into consideration. The less negative content there is, the quicker it is to change the search results. The more authoritative the site where the content is hosted, the more time it takes to fix.

What I’m saying is that how long it will take to remove is on a case-to-case basis. Some things we can easily push down the search listings (or even get rid of), while others may take a lot longer.

If you want to get an idea of how long it will take us to bury any negative press about you or your business, get in touch and then, when we’ve evaluated the negative content, we will be able to give you a rough estimate.

Why is online reputation management important?

The world is becoming dependent on online information to check credibility. A potential employer or customer will search out any information the internet has on you.

This can obviously be a problem when there is information you do not want the world to view. Whether the content is real or fake, it doesn’t matter. What the public reads online, they are most likely to believe. And it becomes their perception of you.

You can’t allow this to happen. You can’t have third-party sites controlling how the public sees you.
That’s where online reputation management comes in.

Call it housekeeping or basic hygiene. It’s a way for you to take control of your reputation.

You do this by building a lot of content online that frames how the public sees you. Then you push this content up onto the first few pages of the search engines.

This way, you’re protected from any online threats that may potentially damage your reputation.

How do I manage my online reputation?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So to manage your online reputation, you build content that supports your credibility.

In this manner, what the public reads about you is on your terms.

In a nutshell, there are 3 important things you can do to manage your online reputation:

Build as much content as possible. Be active on sites you can control like social media, blogs, forums or press releases.

Have a system in place that encourages your best customers to write reviews online.

Be proactive in dealing with clients grievances before they get too angry. Try and fix any problems in order to prevent them from going to review sites to slander you or your business.
What I’m saying is that how long it will take to remove is on a case-to-case basis. Some things we can easily push down the search listings (or even get rid of), while others may take a lot longer.

Why can’t I just hire a defamation lawyer?

A defamation lawyer has his/her place. If you want to go through a legal proceeding to get rid of damaging content, you hire a defamation lawyer.

But here’s the thing. There are negative search listings that a defamation lawsuit can’t get rid of. For example, if a customer has a legitimate reason for writing a bad review, then that website is not obliged to take the information down. How about if there is a mugshot of you online when you were arrested at 19 years old?

There are countries where it’s legal to have that information up, too.

In addition, there are scenarios where websites based in a different country don’t have to abide by your country’s laws. There’s almost always nothing a defamation lawyer can do about that.

What can and can’t you remove?

You can get rid of content that are outright lies, of reviews that were paid, or of content maliciously created by another person or business.

However, it’s difficult to get rid of content from government sites or of newspaper articles. The same is true for any valid verifiable reviews.

With that said, you can manage the situation.

If you can’t remove content online, you can still control what other people read about you. You do this by building content that puts you in a positive light. You make a lot of it so that it pushes down the negative content from the search listing and drowns it out. In effect, the first few pages of any searches on your name or business will all be content that puts you in a good light.

What is brand reputation management and how does it work?

Whether you’re a business, a politician, or a public figure, people will google you before they work with you, hire you or buy from you.
This means that most of the time, third-party sites control how people perceive you.

Brand reputation management takes that power away from them and puts it in your hands. Think of it as a precautionary measure to ensure a strong reputation that can withstand any negative attacks.

With a solid reputation management strategy, people only see content you want them to see. You develop an online presence that presents you or your business in the way that you want the public to see you. All this good content enhances your credibility.

Should a website write damaging articles about you, this harmful content gets pushed down by the content you’ve built yourself. Way way down where most people don’t bother looking.

Can you really change search results?

It’s not easy. But yes, people do it all the time. It’s called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Most SEO specialists will rank you based on what you’re selling. But with reputation management, our main goal is to rank you for search terms that beef up your online reputation. We make sure that online information about you or your brand forms the image you want the public to see.

How can you improve online reviews?

Develop a system that gets your best customers to write reviews about you online. If these customers are already happy with your services, they are more likely to write positive reviews.

The problem with most online businesses is that they don’t have a system that asks customers to leave reviews on third-party sites.

But the thing is happy customers are less likely to write reviews than dissatisfied customers. This means many happy customers’ great opinion of you will never see the light of day.

So if you want to improve online reviews, develop a system that encourages more of the happy clients to write on third-party review sites. This helps in shaping a good public image for your business.

How much does reputation management cost?

The cost depends on the job involved and exactly what things need doing.

I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs until I know your specific situation.

If you want a rough idea of how much it is, reputation management can cost anywhere from $1000 – $15,000 dollars per month.