What is the main objective of online reputation management?

The online world is ever-present in modern life and is something that the vast majority of people engage with on a daily basis. This can be in both our working lives and our personal lives. The same is also true for the majority of businesses that also have an active online presence to connect with consumers or sell their goods and services.

This level of online interaction means that people and businesses build up a digital footprint on the internet over time. As a result, paying attention to the reputation you or your firm has online is key. One way to go about this is considering online reputation management when required.

But what is this and what is its main objective?

What is online reputation management?

This is a type of digital marketing that is known as ORM, for short. It focuses mainly on the search results that appear when someone searches for a business or individual online, and the impact these results have on their reputation. This is not only in terms of what people might think of a business or person they engage with over the internet but how it influences their offline views as well.

What is online reputation management’s main objective?

The main objective of ORM is to remove or reduce the visibility of harmful online content concerning a business or individual. This is becoming increasingly crucial in the modern world, where billions of people use the internet regularly to engage with firms, read blogs, shop, check out reviews and find out all kinds of information via popular social media platforms.

This level of global digital integration also means that many people now use the internet as their main source for tracking down more information on a business or person. The views people form about a company or individual can be greatly affected by what they see online, for example. Reducing the visibility of harmful content is useful therefore in protecting your reputation and also improving it.

How can ORM help businesses and individuals specifically?

The latest business news is full of interesting topics and has seen ORM generate lots of headlines recently. The most important thing to remember is that modern consumers are now much more concerned about the morals of who they spend money with. Having a positive online reputation can help show consumers that your brand operates ethically, and that you’re a firm they can trust. This can in turn help drive more traffic to your company’s website, generate more leads or give sales a boost.

Individuals are able to benefit from ORM in a slightly different way, although the main driver behind this remains the same. In a professional sense, building a more positive reputation online can help your future career and how others in your sector view you. This can be useful when applying for a job, as many employers will look at a candidate’s online presence before hiring them.

ORM is also effective for both organisations and individuals who have harmful content about them online that is untrue. This could be a competitor leaving false reviews on a business or a friend you have fallen out with spreading false information about you online. By taking steps to decrease the visibility of this information on search engines, it is possible to combat malicious digital activity.

What techniques does online reputation management use?

The first thing to understand about this form of digital marketing is that it cannot totally erase harmful or toxic content from the internet. The main technique it uses instead is to post more positive content online that ranks higher in search engine results. A major part of this is using effective keyword analysis to help content rank higher in the SERPs. By doing this, people are more likely to see the positive content and not come across the negative information.

ORM will also tend to focus on monitoring and responding to reviews people have left online about a business. This is also something that can be done for individuals, where reviews left on a personal blog post or website can be monitored. By doing this, it is possible to remove any reviews that do not meet website or blog guidelines, and maximise any positive reviews that remain.

Online reputation management: key for navigating the modern world

There is no doubt that having a positive reputation online is crucial for businesses and individuals in the modern world. As we all spend so much time online, you cannot risk a negative digital reputation affecting you in a less than favourable way. Online reputation management is one of the most effective ways to protect the image people form about individuals or organisations overall.