Introduction
In the digital age, your reputation is searchable. From Google results to review sites and social media threads, what people say about your brand influences how others perceive and trust you. That’s where Online Reputation Management (ORM) comes in.
- What Is ORM and Why It Matters
ORM is the practice of monitoring, managing, and influencing the online perception of your brand. It affects:
- Buyer trust and conversions
- Search engine rankings
- Employer branding
- Platforms That Shape Your Reputation
- Google Reviews
- Yelp, Trustpilot, G2, Capterra
- Glassdoor (for employer brand)
- Social platforms: Reddit, X, TikTok comments
- Monitoring Tools
Use these tools to stay alert:
- Google Alerts
- Brand24 or Mention
- ReviewTrackers
- Sprout Social for sentiment monitoring
- Responding to Negative Feedback
- Respond quickly and professionally
- Don’t argue publicly; move conversations offline
- Show empathy and a willingness to resolve
- Encouraging Positive Reviews
- Ask at the right moment (after a successful delivery)
- Make it easy with direct links and reminders
- Offer incentives (where policy allows)
- SEO for Reputation Management
- Publish positive content regularly (blogs, press releases)
- Optimize branded search terms
- Use schema markup for review snippets
- Crisis Response Strategy
- Acknowledge the issue quickly
- Issue a unified internal message
- Communicate transparently via owned channels
- Monitor the aftermath and adjust brand messaging
- Managing Influencers and UGC
- Set brand guidelines for partnerships
- Monitor hashtags and tags
- Report or request removal of offensive/inaccurate content
- ORM KPIs to Track
- Star rating average (Google, Yelp)
- Sentiment score over time
- Review response rate
- Volume of branded search impressions
Conclusion
Reputation isn’t built in a day, but it can be damaged in one. With a proactive ORM strategy, you can control the narrative, build trust, and protect your brand’s long-term success.
