SEO.com: Optimizing Since the Middle Ages

Lori Gilson,  September 2, 2009

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SEO.com was recently featured in the Salt Lake Enterprise. An article was written about our company, focusing on the incredible growth we have enjoyed despite the recession. After mentioning our office expansion and relocation, the article highlights the firm’s history. It states, “The firm was formed in April 1003…”

We knew that we led the industry in experience, innovation and good looks, but according to this article we preceded electricity– maybe even the wheel. We found this pretty funny and emailed jokes back and forth. My favorite response came from Nelson James, who was asked what his secret was to staying so young. He wrote, “Noni juice. I can get you in my line for a mere $16,000 to start out.”

This misprint was comical and was not damaging to our firm’s reputation. However, what if it was? What can be done if something harmful is printed or written online about your company and it begins circulating the web, or climbing to the top of the SERPs?

Many firms are including Reputation Management in their SEO efforts. This SEO service features monitoring, addressing or mitigating undesirable search engine results or online media comments. Techniques can include creating positive posts in response to negative comments, or writing favorable content and optimizing the subject matter for your company name or targeted keywords.

Reputation Management involves:

• PR Crisis Management: Search engine optimization focused specifically on preserving and restoring reputation, when the crisis is already in progress.
• Online Public Relations/Press Release Optimization: Publicly announcing new company developments and delivering the message to a much larger audience.
• Blog Marketing: Consistently producing blog content allowing a company to publish its message to a large audience and creating an opportunity to start a discussion about different issues.
• Link Building: Attracting links from offsite to build search engine rankings to certain pages. High rankings can ensure that your message is viewed first.

Nelson wrote  a post about the dark side of reputation management, and showed how an seo firm used SEO to cover up unethical practices. We (obviously) do not condone this practice.  However, if you become victimized online due to unfortunate or inaccurate events, reputation management can be crucial.

Benjamin Franklin stated, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” A firm’s reputation is one of its most important assets. It is important to consistently monitor your online reputation to keep it positive and accurate.