A loss in profits can be recouped, but repairing a brand image is considerably more difficult. Maintaining a positive brand reputation is essential to any business.

The internet has transformed the business landscape, and many corporations have been slow to adapt. Partnering with a trusted reputation management firm that understands online reputation management is critical.

This article will not just underscore the issues but provide valuable tips and insights on how to counter negative reviews and reduce the visibility of unfavorable search results.

Negative Press from New Media

A business can dedicate significant time and resources to growing brand awareness, yet it only takes one negative post to level everything you’ve built. Search engines employ complicated algorithms. If the negative post cites relevant links and information, it can easily leapfrog more positive search results. A negative link is the last thing a user should see when they search for your business.

We direct our clients to take a proactive approach. The sooner you spot a bad search result, the sooner it can be weeded out. We recommend assembling a team to monitor online search results, so your business can spot the negative result before a potential consumer does.

Be sure to examine the first several pages for negative posts or reviews. Set up a Google Alert for your business. There are a number of tools that can help track mentions, such as Hootsuite or Social Mention.

In the event of negative press, consider one of these options:

• Explain your position in the comment section. Do not antagonize or patronize the source or author. Always maintain a calm and respectful demeanor.
• Offer to answer questions from concerned parties
• Notify the publisher that you are actively working to solve the problem and kindly ask for them to remove the post.

Misinformation from Business Rivals

Competing businesses will often resort to deceitful tactics in order to attain a higher search position than their rivals. They may spread malicious information on blogs and message boards from anonymous accounts or use low quality back-links to drive down your page rank.

Search engines like Google favor results from blogging platforms and discussion forums. Unfavorable posts and poor links will have an adverse effect on your online reputation.

Several Tips from Online Reputation Managers:

• To expedite reaction time, set alerts for your brand name together with negative terms.
• Use negative keywords to promote positive content. Make the best out of a bad situation.
• Purchase related domains for testimonials and reviews from trusted clients (ex. www.brandname-reviews.com)
• Use Google Webmaster tool to renounce low-quality back-links.