This article discusses managing your brand’s search engine results so they align with your desired online presence.
When you need to find a new hair salon, hire a plumber or book a caterer for your wedding, how do you do it?
Chances are, you do what most people do and head to Google or other search engine providers. And the options you find at the top of the search engine results page have a major influence over the web pages and brands you interact with.
Here’s another question: What happens when you Google your company name?
If the first page of Google Search results includes negative Google reviews and ratings, negative reviews from other review sites, bad news articles, links to your competitors’ websites, or irrelevant information that has nothing to do with your business, you’re essentially sending customers away.
Since online reputation management (ORM) is important to all businesses, you need to own your brand’s search engine results so that when someone searches for you, they find your website, your social networks, and good reviews about your products or services.
There’s no definitive way to actually own your brand’s search results. You can’t ensure that your site appears on the first page when someone searches for your business name on Google or any other search engine.
Yes, you can run Google Ads and, hopefully, be at the top of paid search results, but that’s not the same as climbing to the top of organic search results.
However, what you can do is ensure you have content that uses relevant keywords and matches the user’s query and intent. This puts you in the best position to have your content chosen for the top organic listings on the search results page.
By understanding the search engine’s algorithm and designing your content accordingly, you can improve the likelihood of ranking highly on the search engine results page when someone searches for your brand, product or service.
It’s possible to create a robust, positive online reputation even if you’re starting from zero or rebounding from a PR crisis. Call us at
844-230-3803
for more information about climbing to the top of the search engine results page.
Create a Website — If You Don’t Have One Already
It’s nearly impossible to dominate organic results without owned content, and the most effective way to create owned content is by having your own website. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Your website URL should be as close to your company’s name as possible.
- Make sure to choose a trustworthy, high-value extension like .com rather than something like .net.
- Regularly refresh the site by adding new content and updating older content.
- Even the simplest websites should have an “About Us” page and contact information.
- To help your web pages rank highly in organic results for your brand name, use your company name throughout your web content.
We work with clients to help them build their online reputation and take control of their digital presence. Give us a call at
844-230-3803
to learn more.
How To Make an Existing Website Stronger
If you already have a website, you’re probably wondering what you can do to make it stronger.
By linking instances of your brand name to reputable sources that have covered your company — like putting a link on your About Us page to coverage about your company in a highly regarded newspaper — you’ll signal to visitors that you run a respected business.
Similarly, work with those sources to link back to your site. Link-building is one of the best SEO strategies around, and it’s a strong signal to Google that you belong with top organic results.
Also, consider starting a blog on your company site. Regardless of the type of business you run, a blog will give you an outlet for publishing fresh content that will climb to the top of results for relevant search queries. Google likes websites that are updated often, and a blog gives you a way to do this.
Today, online reputation management is more important than ever before. Get started with a free analysis here.
Harness the Power of Social Media
Every brand should have a presence on at least 2 or 3 social media platforms where their target audience spends time.
Use the same name across all networks if you can, because this is helpful for brand recognition and can help you show up in search queries for your company name. It also helps to use the same profile picture for your business across all networks to improve recognizability.
Then, fill out the bio section with information about your business and a link to your website.
Post to your social profiles regularly. While you don’t necessarily have to post daily (though it’s great if you can), you want to be consistent enough so that your audience doesn’t forget about you. Aim for 3-5 posts per week until you’re able to do more.
4 Ways To Build a Web Presence
Once you have your website and social networks set up, it’s time to start building a web presence.
You want your brand name out there in conjunction with your industry as much as possible. That way, when someone searches for your brand name, they’ll actually be able to find your content online.
Here are some of the best ways to build your web presence:
- Comment on relevant content in your industry. Leave meaningful comments on forums, social media posts and more. Whenever possible, link back to your website. This tactic doesn’t typically drive tons of traffic, but it can help you to show up more prominently on Google. Also, it will increase brand awareness with your audience.
- Get coverage from other sources. Do interviews (HARO is a good place to find opportunities), write guest posts, apply to be on podcasts in your niche, etc. Start networking so that other reputable sources want to cover your business.
- Consider launching a YouTube channel. This suggestion takes a little more effort, but since Google owns YouTube, it can bring you a lot of search engine traffic if you create a channel there. Google loves showing videos in search results.
- Ask customers to leave reviews. While you can’t ask for a positive review, you can definitely ask clients and customers for honest reviews. Tell them where to leave a review — or better yet, provide them with a link to a review site — so it’s super easy for them to leave feedback. Reviews sites have a lot of weight with Google, so they’re likely to show up on the first page.
Along with our parent company NetReputation, OnlineReputation.com provides information and services to help you protect your digital presence. Get started with a free online reputation analysis here.
Be Patient!
It can take a while for your content to climb its way to the top of the SERP. With consistency, though, you should be able to get your content in front of your audience. When users search for your brand name, they’ll eventually be met with a host of links that perfectly match what they’re looking for.
Also, remember that Google search algorithms change all the time. It’s important to stay on top of the industry so that your content continues to meet Google’s expectations.
You may also want to work with an online reputation management company or consultant who can help you gain a positive presence online. Be wary of search engine optimization (SEO) companies that guarantee they can get your links to the top of organic search results — it’s impossible to promise that, as Google pulls the organic results it wants to based on a variety of factors.
At OnlineReputation.com, we provide must-know information to individuals and businesses who want to create, grow or repair their digital reputation. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our advice and team of experts can help.
Through our parent company, NetReputation, we offer a range of online reputation management services, including ad management, search engine optimization, review monitoring, content removal and more. Our five-step ORM strategy ensures we cover every base to create a tailored program that’s right for you.
Give us a call at
844-230-3803
to learn more.