Using Online Reputation Management to Protect Your Business

Author: Guy Sheetrit Updated Date: March 7, 2026 Category: Online marketing

The Internet has progressively become part of
most aspects of our personal and business life, and corporate warfare is no
exception. Now, those who like to play dirty use the internet as a battlefield
and a means for their dark deeds. They have turned social media and internet
news sites into a weapon to undermine their competition. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Proven Marketing Carpet Cleaning.

Fake news has become a common occurrence in social media platforms, and news websites, and even reached mainstream news outlets at times. They can take different forms, but overall, they are fabricated stories created to pose and be spread around as real journalism. The most banal reason for publishing fake news is to gain clicks and generate income through ads. However, they are usually created with the specific purpose of smearing a public figure. While many fake news target political movements, politicians, or other public figures, they are also used to tarnish companies’ reputations.

And it works. Believe it or not, a study showed that false information tends to spread more widely and spreads faster than the truth.

Many brands both big and small have been
affected by fake news.

A recent example of disinformation masked as news is a video that surfaced in January this year. You can see a car driving and bumping and tipping over a robot standing on the side of a street. Headlines all over digital news sites and technology sites read that a Self-driving Tesla had hit and killed an autonomous robot. Except the company hasn’t released a self-driving model yet. The video was allegedly released as a publicity stunt that the robot’s company launched during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The jury’s still out on whether the purpose of the video was to put a dent in the electric car company’s reputation or if it genuinely is an advertisement for the bot’s company.

You may be asking yourself who would benefit
from making the public mistrust Tesla technology and how. There is no simple
answer to this question. But, off the top of my head, I think it would benefit competing
companies that build and sell cars powered on fossil fuel, or those trying to
steer consumers away from self-driving technology. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Online Marketplaces.

That being said, fake news is not the only way a business can have its online reputation compromised; competitors can also resort to fake bad reviews and REAL bad reviews. These can also be detrimental to a brand’s image and can hinder consumers’ trust. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Online Gaming Marketing.

Table of Contents

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Industry Benchmarks and Performance Standards

Understanding industry benchmarks provides context for evaluating performance and identifying improvement opportunities.

Key Performance Indicators

Track essential metrics for success:

Engagement rates: Industry averages provide baselines for comparison
Conversion rates: Understand typical performance by channel and industry
Cost metrics: Compare cost-per-acquisition and cost-per-engagement
Growth rates: Benchmark audience and revenue growth against industry

Performance Optimization

Use benchmarks to drive improvement:

Identify underperforming areas requiring attention
Set realistic targets based on industry standards
Prioritize initiatives with highest impact potential
Track progress toward competitive parity

Integration Strategies Across Channels

Modern marketing requires seamless integration across multiple channels and touchpoints.

Omnichannel Approach

Create unified customer experiences:

Maintain consistent messaging across all channels
Enable cross-channel tracking and attribution
Create seamless transitions between touchpoints
Personalize based on cross-channel behavior

Data Integration

Unify data for comprehensive insights:

Connect customer data across platforms
Create unified customer profiles
Enable real-time data sharing
Implement cross-channel analytics

Organizations with integrated customer experiences see 30% higher customer lifetime value.

What does that have to do with my company’s reputation?

If you think that this does not apply to you because no one is talking about your product or service online, think again. In this digitalized world of ours, consumers are always discussing your brand whether you have an online presence or not. It is your job to be on top of that discussion and lead it when possible. That is what Reputation Management">online reputation management is all about.

The first step to proactive reputation
management is actively monitoring it. How can this be done? The simplest way to
monitor what’s being said online about your business is to set up Google Alerts
for your company’s name or any product you offer. You will receive
notifications every time the terms you set the alert for are mentioned on the
internet. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Start Online Store.

If your business is small, you might be able to check everything yourself and reply to any negative reviews that come up. However, as your business grows, you might want to turn to more sophisticated tools. Some of the apps available for this purpose are BrandMention and BuzzSumo. The former can be used to monitor what consumers are saying about your brand on different social media platforms. The latter allows you to sweep the web for any mention of your brand and products. It also provides other information such as engagement figures and a number of links. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Dropshipping.

If your business grows to a point where it becomes unmanageable to DIY, you should leave the task to an online reputation management professional. This means people trained and experienced in handling all aspects of your brand’s reputation.

An effective reputation management and SEO company can help you devise both contingency and mitigation strategies to protect your business from foul play. This can minimize the damage to your company if you fall victim to a fake news campaign and/or fake bad reviews. They can also lead a proactive reputation management approach. This can lessen the blow if you are targeted by unscrupulous competitors.

What goes beyond monitoring?

Besides staying on top of your brand’s mentions, you also need to be ready to appropriately respond to any critiques, complaints, or mis- and disinformation that comes up. Ignoring it will only make it worse. Even if it’s initially shared within a small circle, everything online has the potential to blow up and become viral.

If you think time heals all wounds, and
people will forget. Let me just tell you no, it doesn´t. What goes online stays
available, possibly forever. And it can resurface at any moment.

Case in point: “United Breaks Guitars.” Not
a fake news campaign, but a very creative bad review of sorts. It exemplifies
how powerful social media and the internet are today when it comes to a
company’s reputation.

If you haven’t heard about it. I’ll give
you the CliffsNotes version of it.

In 2008, a band traveling on a United Airlines flight overheard some passengers commenting on how some guitars were being mishandled by the airline’s baggage personnel. They later realized that, in fact, it had been their instruments and that one of their guitars was damaged beyond repair.

After complaining to the airline, they got zero compensation for it claiming that he hadn’t submitted his complaint within the appropriate timeframe. The guitar owner then decided to write a few songs about the incident and posted the video on YouTube.

As I write these words, over ten years later, the video has been viewed more than 19 million times, and even today, people comment on it. It was reported that the antic cost United Airlines shareholders $180 million dollars when the stock price went down after the video was released. Ouch!

If you’re asking yourself whether getting to know your target audience plays a key role in online reputation management (ORM), then you’re on the right track. And by knowing your audience, I don’t mean the statistics that make up your target market or your buyer personas.

It is essential that you know where they are and where the conversation about your brand is happening. Don’t wait to be the target of bad reviews or for your business to be discredited to open profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all other social media platforms.

Discover where your customers are and engage them. Be part of the conversation, listen to their needs and complaints, and take action. Doing that will help you cement your customers’ trust in your brand and you’ll earn their loyalty.

Another way of keeping a good online
reputation is by somewhat “controlling” what appears on the first page of
search results. What would you find if you searched your brand on Google?
Chances are that you will come across a few negative results if you are not
currently implementing an active ORM campaign. They may be years or even
decades old, but they will show up because search engines like to display a
balanced set of results.

How can I improve what appears on the first page of search
results?

Simple: by creating, publishing and
promoting more pieces of relevant content optimized for those keywords that are
drawing negative content to that first page of search results. This is what we
mean when we say “control.” Doing it will push the negative content down the
rankings to the second or third page, where virtually no one ever goes.

Do you still think online reputation management is something your business can do without?

Here are some figures to help you gain some
perspective on the importance of ORM for your business in the 3.0 era:

85% of people use the internet
to do research before making a purchasing decision.
80% of internet users say
that negative information read online made them change their minds about buying
a product or hiring a service.
More than 80% of
reputation damage results from a discrepancy between the buzz and the reality.
50 % of consumers give a brand
only a week to answer a question before they decide to take their business
elsewhere.
A one-star difference in the
average rating of an online business can mean a 5% to 9% difference in
revenues.
More than 70% of consumers
use social media to provide guidance for a purchase
Nearly 1/5 of consumers have
found something during an online search that made them decide not to do
business with a company.
Nowadays, most buyers trust
recommendations from online users over advertising.
More than 40% of companies that
suffered a negative reputation event have reported losses in revenue.

Numbers don’t lie. The time when an in-house or on-retainer online reputation management expert is a necessity is here. Because as the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. Keeping your online reputation in check can prevent your business from losing customers, recognition, and potential revenues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is this guide about?

This comprehensive guide provides strategies and best practices for achieving success. Following these approaches can help improve your results and competitive advantage.

Q: How long does it take to see results?

Results vary. Most strategies require 3-6 months before significant improvements. Ongoing optimization and consistency are essential for sustainable success.

Q: Do I need professional help?

While basic implementation can be done independently, professional guidance often accelerates results and helps avoid costly mistakes.

Q: What are the most important factors for success?

Key factors include thorough research, consistent execution, quality over quantity, regular performance monitoring, and adapting to industry changes.

Q: How do I measure success?

Track KPIs like traffic, conversions, revenue, and engagement rates. Regular analysis helps identify areas for improvement.

Q: What channels should I focus on?

Most businesses benefit from SEO, content marketing, social media, and paid advertising. Start where your target audience is most active.

The Evolution of Digital Marketing Strategy

Digital marketing has transformed dramatically over the past decade, evolving from simple banner advertisements to sophisticated, data-driven strategies that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Modern digital marketing requires integrated approaches combining multiple channels into cohesive customer experiences.

Content Marketing Best Practices

Content remains the foundation of successful digital marketing, serving as the primary mechanism for attracting organic traffic, building brand authority, and engaging target audiences.

Data-Driven Marketing Decisions

Modern marketing success depends on sophisticated analytics enabling data-driven decisions.

Building Brand Authority

Establishing thought leadership provides significant competitive advantages including increased brand awareness and customer trust.

Maximizing Marketing ROI

Proving marketing ROI requires clear objectives, sophisticated tracking, and continuous optimization.

Learn More: Home

PR in the Digital Age: How Modern Press Relations Drives SEO

The line between public relations and SEO has effectively dissolved. Digital PR — the practice of earning media coverage and links through newsworthy content, expert commentary, and relationship building with journalists — is now one of the most powerful SEO strategies available.

A single article on a major publication (Forbes, TechCrunch, industry-specific media with DR 70+) can deliver more SEO value than hundreds of directory submissions. The links are high-authority, editorially relevant, and surrounded by contextual content that reinforces topical relevance — the ideal link in every dimension.

Building a Digital PR Strategy That Earns Links

Effective digital PR operates on the same principle as traditional PR: you need newsworthy content that serves the journalist’s audience, not just your business goals. The assets that consistently earn media coverage and links:

Original research and data: Surveys, proprietary data analysis, and unique datasets are the highest-performing digital PR assets. Journalists need data to support stories — if you provide credible data on topics they’re covering, you become an essential source. Even a survey of 200 customers on a relevant industry trend can generate significant media pickup.
Reactive expert commentary: When industry news breaks, journalists need expert sources on tight deadlines. Being available, quotable, and expert on your core topics generates consistent earned media. Monitor industry news via Google Alerts, Twitter lists, and journalist query platforms (Connectively, Qwoted) to identify opportunities within hours of news breaking.
Counterintuitive takes: Content that challenges conventional wisdom is inherently more newsworthy than content that confirms it. “Why [commonly accepted best practice] is wrong for most businesses” generates more coverage than “How to do [commonly accepted best practice].”
Free tools and resources: Creating genuinely useful free tools (calculators, templates, graders) generates organic links as people share the tool with their audiences. These “linkable assets” earn links passively for years after creation.

Online Reputation Management: Proactive and Reactive Strategies

Online reputation management (ORM) encompasses both proactive reputation building and reactive crisis management. Most businesses focus almost entirely on reactive ORM — responding to negative reviews and trying to suppress negative search results. The businesses with the strongest online reputations invest primarily in proactive reputation building that makes them difficult to harm.

Proactive ORM strategies:

Owning page one of branded search: The first page of results for your brand name should be dominated by properties you control or influence — your website, LinkedIn, press coverage on authoritative sites, industry profiles. This requires actively building these properties and monitoring for new results that could displace them.
Review acquisition programs: Systematically requesting reviews from satisfied customers through email sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, and direct outreach. The volume of positive reviews is the most effective defense against the outsized impact of negative reviews.
Thought leadership content: Published articles, speaking engagements, and podcast appearances that establish personal and brand authority are extremely difficult for competitors or detractors to displace from search results.

Crisis ORM: Responding When Things Go Wrong

When negative coverage, reviews, or social media incidents threaten brand reputation, the response strategy determines whether the crisis is contained or escalates. Established crisis ORM protocol:

Acknowledge quickly: Silence in the face of a reputation crisis is interpreted as guilt. A prompt acknowledgment — even if you don’t yet have full information — demonstrates that you take the situation seriously.
Take the conversation offline: Respond publicly to demonstrate accountability, but resolve the specific issue through private channels. Public arguments with critics always make the crisis worse.
Publish your perspective: For significant crises, publish a detailed response on your own domain — a blog post, open letter, or FAQ addressing the specific claims. This creates a rankable asset that can appear alongside the negative coverage in search results.
Accelerate positive content production: In the weeks following a reputation crisis, increase the pace of positive content — press releases, client case studies, industry contributions — to push positive results up and negative results down in search.