What is Search Engine Reputation Management?
SERM, short for Search Engine Reputation Management, is an online marketing strategy that encompasses a range of activities. These activities include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Paid Search Marketing, Press Optimization, Blogging and Social Media. Through SERM, businesses can increase their visibility in search engine results, while managing their online presence to ensure they are portrayed in a positive light.
Search engine reputation management (SERM) provides businesses and websites with the tools to track activities that could potentially affect their reputations, as well as techniques to promote a positive image. To achieve these objectives, SERM encompasses Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Marketing, Press Optimization, Blogging and Social Media.
Why is SERM important?
ReviewTrackers data indicates that 94% of consumers are deterred from engaging with a business after reading a bad review – an impressive statistic that supports the importance of consistently monitoring and nurturing your online reputation. Here are the key reasons why such effort is worthwhile:
– Your company’s market value is directly dependent on its reputation.
– Many people make their opinion on whether to engage with an individual or a brand after searching online.
– Given the immense popularity of review sites across the web, people are likely to read what their peers say about you before forming an opinion.
Search Engine Reputation Management in Madison (Wisconsin)
Our reputation team specializes in monitoring and repairing your online presence. You owe it to both yourself and your business to be aware of how you’re perceived online. Ignorance can potentially cost you quite a bit – something you don’t want to risk. So stay informed and take action where necessary.
How does SERM Work?
Once a brand loses reputation, steps must be taken to restore its standing. People ask if they can alter their Google reputation and the answer is “yes”. Our firm helps brands rebuild their image through online reputation management strategies. Through search engine reputation management, we aim to influence a positive perception of the brand. SERM is multi-faceted and involves SEO, social media, content marketing, and PR. Here are some of the steps we take to achieve this:
- Optimizing website content
- Creating positive content about the brand
- Spreading the content through influencers
- Using SEO tools to reach the right audience
- Building relationships with customers
- Disputing negative feedback with facts
1.- Proactive Monitoring
To maintain and improve your online reputation, you need to keep an eye on it. Utilize search engines, blogs, and reviews platforms among sources to monitor the landscape. Additionally, your company should have a presence on online platforms such as social media or forums where your customers are engaging. You should be able to answer queries and concerns before they lead to negative feedback.
2.- SERP Cleansing
SERP Cleansing requires you to focus on optimizing the top ten search results for your company. To do that, aggressively publish new content, such as reviews and testimonials, media coverage, and guest posts. This will help to ensure that negative results are minimized or removed from the first few pages of search engine results.
3.- Improve SEO
To improve SEO:
- Use relevant keywords and phrases
- Update content regularly to keep search engines active
- Link webpages together
- Optimize page loading speed
- Keep titles and meta-descriptions concise and accurate
To optimize SEO, it’s important to use relevant keywords and phrases, update content regularly to inform search engines, link webpages together, optimize page loading speed for a better user experience, and create concise and accurate titles and meta-descriptions. Doing so will help to improve rankings of relevant sites and reduce the effect of negative content.
4.- Respond to Negative Content
Monitor consumer forums and review platforms in order to stay informed of public opinion. It’s essential to take action to reply to and try to diffuse negative content as soon as it’s found. Reach out to the customer to apologize for poor experience and rectify the situation. This will show that your company is willing to work to meet customers’ satisfaction and that their opinion has been heard. Moreover, demonstrating that your brand is true to its promise may endear potential customers and build positive relationships.
5.- Social Media Presence
Social media is an invaluable tool for cultivating an audience, authority and trustworthiness. It provides a great platform for interacting with current and potential customers, while also boosting your SERP rankings. The more engagement that occurs on social media, the higher esteem you are held in by search engines. The positive views and comments about your business or brand directly affect SERPs and improve your online profile.
6.- Push Positive Content
Social media is an effective mechanism to increase reach, build leadership, and increase trust. It facilitates connecting with customers and carries huge potential for improving SERP rankings. Generating beneficial sentiment and customer reviews for your business through social media contributes to greater trust placed in you by search engines. The more engagement you can earn on social media, the more trustworthiness search engines attribute to you.
Conclusions for SERM
Getting started with SERM is easy when you take cognisance of a few key things. First, it’s important that you monitor your online and offline presence – this helps you protect your reputation. Additionally, it’s essential that you foster a good online presence through active social media, helping you build and maintain relationships with your customers. Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to customer feedback – responding to both positive and negative comments can win you trust and respect. If you need extra support, the Search Engine Reputation Management experts at our networks of agencies have worked on projects in more than 30 countries and counting.
