Search Engine Reputation Management – why it matters

How often have I heard that line over the past few years? Mostly in the SEO context of it being a bad thing, i.e. ‘is your brand languishing on page 2 of the SERPs? Here’s how to move up onto page one’.

But is being on page 2 always a big no-no? Not necessarily – especially if you want certain online content kept away from your target audience. When politicians talk about wanting to ‘bury bad news’, they mean they want to minimise a story’s visibility or – better still – wipe it from existence altogether.

Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) is often used to hide the bad stuff (lousy reviews, damaging articles, etc.) but it’s so much more than that. In fact, I’d say to a greater degree it’s about protecting your brand’s good name in a positive, proactive manner.

What is search engine reputation management?

SERM is a key component of online reputation management. It involves influencing or controlling what people see when they search for a brand or individual online while actively monitoring customer sentiment and potential brand threats.

It’s possible to see SERM in action. Brands or people with high spending power who have faced national scandals or public scrutiny can invest in strategies to make negative news stories less visible.

Take for example Boris Johnson (no, please – take him!). Whatever you think of our former PM, no one can deny he’s been at the centre some of the biggest public scandals this country has seen over the last 10 years. Yet despite this, a glance at page one on Google at time of writing would suggest ‘nothing to see here' - just a few professional profiles and a plug of his books. No mention, for example, of buses. Most of us will of course remember *that* bus story. What made a lot of SEOs sit up and take notice were his subsequent tactics in the aftermath. It appeared that Boris was allegedly trying to manipulate search engine rankings by repeatedly talking about painting model buses in interviews, thus pushing stories about the Brexit bus fiasco further down the SERP. Tut tut.

It’s a similar story for a variety of brands with less than squeaky clean reputations – Nestle, McDonalds and P&O Ferries have all faced their fair share of controversy, yet you’ll be hard-pressed to find negative results for any of the above on page one.

Why does SERM matter?

• Over 25% of People click the first Google search result.
• 83% of UK shoppers prioritise looking at reviews before buying a product.
• 88% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company that replies to all its reviews, both negative and positive.
• Consumers rank a positive internet reputation as the number one most important factor when determining which business to use, even above the quality of products and services.
• 63% of social media users expect a response from a brand within one hour.

Reviews

Reviews nowadays can make or break a business, particularly smaller, lesser-known ones. Even the most reputable businesses in the world get the odd crappy review and sometimes these testimonials might not even be justified. Sadly, unless the review can be proven to be fake, there’s little you can do to remove it altogether.

More often than not, simply interacting with the reviewer can be enough to undo or minimise the damage. We’ve talked about the importance of user-generated content before and if someone has had a bad experience with your brand, it’s better to address that negative feedback professionally and promptly. This shows that the business values customer feedback and is committed to improvement.

Here's an example. This restaurant in London (name omitted) takes the time to respond to every single review – good and bad – which is a huge feather in its cap. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive so you might think the owners would be tempted to ignore this stinging review, but they took it on the chin and offered an eloquent and meaningful apology. Take a look:

Control the narrative

While responding to reviews is reactive, there are things you can do to be proactive, i.e. cultivating a strong and positive brand presence online. One way to do this is through your content. Creating and posting engaging, relevant content showcases your brand’s E-E-A-T credentials, which search engines (and users!) love to see. Remember – the more fresh, well-optimised content you put out, the higher the chance of outranking negative content.

Establish and optimise official profiles on authoritative platforms and be an active presence on social media. Yes, you could argue that the greater the social media presence, the more susceptible you are to being at the mercy of keyboard warriors but if someone’s going to criticise your brand, they’ll do it anyway – so why not be present to address their concerns directly?

You can also create content that addresses potential concerns before they turn into a problem. Create optimised content that answers ‘People Also Ask’ queries about your brand and respond to any Q&As via your Google Business Profile account.

All the above will help shape the narrative around your brand proactively rather than reactively.

Using the right tools

Controlling your brand narrative also involves understanding search behaviour. A simple way to kickstart this is using Google's autocomplete and related searches to discover what questions people ask about your brand while Google Trends helps track how search patterns change over time, highlighting seasonal trends that warrant attention.

Tools like Semrush and Google Keyword Planner provide detailed insights into search volumes and competing content, helping you identify gaps in your reputation strategy. You can also set up Google Alerts to stay up to date with new mentions of your brand as they appear online.

Four things you can do to maintain good SERM practices

Let’s recap on what you can do to keep your online reputation shipshape:

• Offer a great service / user experience.
• Respond promptly and professionally to reviews, FAQs and feedback, whether positive or negative.
• Build a strong social media presence across platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook. Post regularly and interact with your followers, staying consistent with your brand message.
• Set up Google Alerts for your name and business, and make the most of tools such as People Also Ask, Keyword Planner and Google Trends.
• Create and post high-quality, well-optimised content that showcases your expertise and authority in your field. This gives you control over your primary online presence and helps establish credibility.

Final thoughts

There is so much we can’t control online and while many brands don’t have the spending power to ‘bury bad news’, this article goes to show there are steps you can take, both proactively and reactively, to minimise the risk of reputational damage. We know a bad review can sting – but hey, you’re not alone. Even one of most Britain's most important historical landmarks can fall foul of a disappointed visitor, as demonstrated below:

Goes to show you can't please 'em all, eh?

Need help with search engine reputation management?

SERM is not a one-stop shop. It requires constant monitoring to ensure you're adhering to best practices. This is where Adido can help - we know our SEO onions and can help make sure the good stuff is kept as visible as possible. Speak to our fantastic SEO team today!