Defending your reputation online against damaging comments is extremely important. Moreover, online comments can help or harm businesses and individuals. Furthermore, social networks and blogs are disseminating opinions around the world.
Since persons may anonymously, removing negative comments from Google search results is nearly impossible.
However, there are ways to defend against negative comments, false information, etc. If someone punches you in the nose, you can hit back. I say, “Type softly and carry a big keyboard.”
CASE IN POINT
A yacht racing organization was hammered by nasty online comments posted by someone with an ax to grind. The person making the negative complaints even owned the blog where he posted the comments. Every time someone Googled the name of the yacht racing organization, the blog would appear in the search results near their business listing.
The client asked me if we could somehow block the offending blog’s listing on Google. Sadly, the short answer is no. Google’s not in business to give you the truth. It’s in business to provide what you think is relevant. The same is true for Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines.
TAKE AN OFFENSIVE POSITION
To combat a harmful blog, a company must get Google and other search engines to list relevant sites (websites, blogs, and articles) that contain positive information to push the harmful sites back to page 2 or 3 in the search results.
99% of people searching for news or information will conduct a new search before moving to page two.
First, we posted positive feedback in what I call ‘Reputable Power Ezine Websites.’ We also posted positive feedback on related industry sites and blogs. After a few weeks, we began to see positive results. After a few months, we dominated the first page of Google with references containing positive comments.
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
The proliferation of social sites has created powerful tools for counteracting negative comments on the web about you or your business.
However, building a “positive comments” website will not be enough. You need to know your way around these networks to attract traffic to your page. But it is only one of several tools you should utilize to help you dominate first-page search engine results.
SHAPING GOOGLE SEARCH LISTINGS
An article in the Washington Post about Reputation Management, working to rehabilitate reputations by helping shape Google search listings. The critical thing to remember is that each situation is case-by-case.
A Google spokeswoman recently told the Indy Star, “Google does not object in principle to people adding positive content to outrank the negative. If you use spammy and manipulative techniques to get this positive content to rank highly, we may take action on it.”
Also, see How to get top Google search results
ABOUT VISIONEFX
Defending your reputation online takes professional skill and patience. VISIONEFX provides online reputation services to small business owners throughout the United States.
Please read what our customers have to say about VISIONEFX on Google Reviews.
Call: (757) 619-6456 or email info@visionefx.net.
