Can I Do My Own Reputation Management?

By Mike Munter

The answer is Yes!  For most of us, though, it's a lot of work.

What do you notice about all of the Google 1st page listings below for Beyonce?

If you look at each URL I've underlined in red, you will notice that each one contains her name, which, in Beyonce's case, happens to be her brand.  If you Google a major brand like "Pepsi", you will see similar results.

You probably already notice similar listings for your own name or business, if you have a Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account.

Although our rates are very affordable, some people still like to do the work themselves, so here are some tips on doing your own reputation management.

#1 - Buy your brand.

For whatever keyword you are trying to clean up your reputation for, go buy that exact match domain.

i.e., if your name is Joe Smith and you want to push down some "not so nice" websites when you Google your name, go buy joesmith.com.  

If your problem is with a longer keyword like, "joe smith carpet cleaning", buy joesmithcarpetcleaning.com.

Now that you own your domain, you'll need to set up your website, add content, blog posts, and contact information.  If you own a business, use it as a tool to promote your business.  If you're just trying to clear your name, you can write about your life, your work, or anything you like.

Add 100% unique quality content and Google should very quickly recognize it and rank it highly, as it exactly matches your keyword.  This is the same principal we use in SEO to help rank websites based on keywords consumers use often.

#2 - Be active on social media. 

One reason all of Beyonce's social media sites line up so well is because her sites have lots of content and a lot of social activity.  When 43,322,780 million people like your Facebook page, Google has no choice but to recognize it and rank it highly for the keyword "Beyonce".

You and I will probably never come close to 43M likes, but there is no doubt that Google uses social signals as a way to rank websites.

If you haven't already claimed your keyword brand on social media giants like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google Plus, do it now.  Then start socializing - add your friends, post your content, and interact.  In time, you should begin to see your social sites begin to appear when you type your target keyword.

#3 - Claim your brand on blog sites.

There are many websites where you can setup a blog for free, such as Wordpress, Blogger, LiveJournal, and 

Blog.com.  Once again, the key is to include your keyword in your URL (joesmith.wordpress.com) and add content on a regular basis.

These 3 tips are just scratching the surface.  It's also important that you optimize your sites where you can and do appropriate link building, to help boost each site's authority.

Summary

Doing your own reputation management work is not rocket science.  It usually just takes a lot of time and some internet savvy to get the results you want.  

If you have questions about doing your own reputation management, please call us at 503-890-6663.  We can usually speak with you within 24 hours and give you further advice on how to affordably manage your online reputation.