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One of the most important aspects of someone’s credibility today is what Google reveals about them during a search. Most corporations and individuals understand the value of this and grasp the core concept, though they might not be familiar with the term itself.
Online Reputation Management (ORM) is the process of creating positive content, suppressing negative press and maintaining a strong online image for businesses and individuals.
Related: Your Business Is One Google Search Away From a Crisis
Why is ORM important?
ORM is essential for businesses and individuals in today’s hyperconnected world. Bad publicity usually results in damaged personal and professional reputations online. These issues can lead to being fired by an employer, getting divorced, losing new customers or even having a hard time raising the next round of funding.
Think of ORM as digital reputation. The internet doesn’t forget easily, and even a single negative article or viral post can overshadow years of good work. That means your Google search results are often the first “introduction” a potential client, investor or employer has to you.
Step #1. Monitoring
Several key elements of ORM help prevent potential disasters. The first is monitoring your online presence to see what people are saying about you or your company. Good monitoring could have prevented the situation above by allowing you to respond before the wave of cancellations and negative feedback.
The best course of action for this is to use a monitoring tool that helps you track your name online. These tools are often easier, cheaper and more effective than manually searching your name across various platforms. I’ve personally seen companies catch inaccurate information within hours and have it corrected before it picked up traction, saving them from what could have become a reputation nightmare.
Related: How to Better Manage Your Brand’s Reputation in the Digital Age
Step #2. Reach out to the source
After you identify negative search results that you want to delete from Google, the next step is to send an email or reach out via social media to each publication. This is a delicate method, and it’s important not to appear defensive, as that can make the situation worse, and things could go viral.
The success of this ORM strategy depends on the specific publication and editorial team: the bigger the publication, the fewer chances you have. Smaller blogs and community sites may be open to correction if the content is outdated, misleading or factually incorrect. On the other hand, going after a national news outlet rarely yields results.
Related: How to Calmly Confront Bad Reviews and Turn Them Into Growth
Step #3. Improving your reputation
The best method to fix your reputation is to use the right SEO and PR techniques to push down or bury negative search results in search engines like Google and Bing. By optimizing positive content with the proper SEO techniques, you can rank the positive content higher in search engines and reduce the visibility of unwanted articles, images or forums. On average, it takes 6–12 months to clean the negative search results.
A strong ORM strategy and persistence can sometimes remove or de-index certain negative pages from search results entirely, particularly if they violate platform guidelines or are misleading. In cases where de-indexing isn’t possible, internet suppression techniques-such as promoting high-authority content — can be used to overwhelm negative content with more relevant, positive search results.
Over time, Google’s algorithm begins to prioritize your new content. The key is consistency — one or two articles won’t shift results. But six or nine months of steady online reputation work can transform the first page of search results.
A law firm client I worked with had their reputation nearly ruined due to their arrest. By publishing client success stories, creating authoritative positive content and earning media mentions, we were able to push the false claims to page two within nine months and, as you know, very few people click past page one.
A case study of ORM in action
Wendy’s made a huge impact on its online reputation when its social media account rebranded to capitalize on trending memes at the time.
The Twitter account became known for “roasting” users, connecting trending Twitter phrases to their products, and using humor to build engagement. Although their ORM strategy can’t be conclusively tied to a sales increase, it clearly didn’t hurt.
Related: Grow Your LinkedIn Audience 10x With These Expert Tips
Bringing it all together
Online reputation management is the strategic process of improving the perception of a personal or business brand on search engines like Google. In a world where public perception is shaped by search engines like Google, ORM is no longer optional — it’s essential.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur raising your next round, a corporation protecting shareholder trust, or an individual applying for a new role, ORM is a long-term investment in credibility. If you don’t control your narrative, someone else will, and it may not be flattering. The companies and people who thrive online are the ones who understand that reputation isn’t just what you do offline; it’s what Google says about you.