{"id":40240,"date":"2021-07-27T17:54:47","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T13:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.dubaicityguide.com\/site\/?p=40240"},"modified":"2021-07-27T17:54:47","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T13:54:47","slug":"top-10-tips-for-online-reputation-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.dubaicityguide.com\/site\/top-10-tips-for-online-reputation-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Tips For Online Reputation Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re a highly successful CEO making mega-deals for breakfast, or an up-and-coming bright-eyed executive, every employable prospect has an online reputation to consider. Take a minute to Google yourself and\/or your business. Nearly half of adults in the United States find negative results about themselves online<\/a>, which can impact all aspects of your professional and personal life – from dating, to applying for a personal loan, your online reputation is something that you can\u2019t afford to ignore.<\/p>\n

Consider this, nearly 70% of today\u2019s population now has at least one social media<\/a> profile. Most of the population is now interacting online while using the resources available to learn more about job candidates, partners, and their peers.<\/p>\n

More often than not, people are forming their opinions about you online before they\u2019ve even met you.<\/p>\n

The first page of Google is much more than the digital version of your cover letter. It\u2019s authored from many different sources and uses the information available about you online to make a composite sketch of who you are. It\u2019s up to you to take control of this information.<\/p>\n

The sooner you begin cultivating your online reputation, the sooner you\u2019ll start seeing positive results. The following ten tips will help understand online reputation management and serve as a beginner\u2019s guide to cultivating your online presence.<\/p>\n

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  1. Audit Your Name and Business<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Before beginning the real legwork, take stock of what\u2019s out there about you. Google your full name and peruse the first five pages of search results. Take in all relevant information about you. To cultivate a positive online reputation it is crucial to understand what you are up against and to know what exists about you online.<\/p>\n

    If you own a business or have ever gone by another name, do the same for the name of your business or any past names. People are unforgiving when seeking information online\u2013 if you can find it, others can too.<\/p>\n

    Update:<\/strong> While it\u2019s best to look at the first few pages of Google results to get a sense of what\u2019s out there about you or your business, don\u2019t panic if some of the later pages show less-than-ideal results. Some reports show that 75% of people don\u2019t go past page 1<\/a> of search results, but more recent research indicates that that number may be closer to 95%.<\/p>\n

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    While it\u2019s still important to be aware of what\u2019s about you out there\u2013 especially knowing that those negative results could climb to page 1 overtime \u2013 the farther back unsavory results are, the less likely they are to have a substantial impact on your online reputation.<\/p>\n

    Identify in this process which links are positive, neutral, or negative. Which results could be improved and what could be elevated. Imagine you are a prospective employer, colleague, or anyone who wants to do a quick search about you online. If you aren\u2019t satisfied with the results, not to worry, most people aren\u2019t. The beginning of your reputation management journey begins with understanding the landscape.<\/p>\n

    2. Claim Your Space<\/h2>\n

    Claiming your space online is the equivalent of protecting your home with sandbags against a potential flood. Each profile and domain name you own in your name and business can buffer against negative results, eventually bumping them off the first page, which is where most people\u2019s searches stop.<\/p>\n

    Start by making an account with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linked In, Google+, Tumblr, and other social media networks on your radar. If you\u2019re a business owner, do the same for your business. Don\u2019t forget to branch into web properties on professional networking websites like Yelp and the Better Business Bureau.<\/p>\n

    Even if you do not plan to use these profiles immediately, you will want to have control over them. There\u2019s a good reason for this. Once you decide to start becoming more active on social media there is nothing more frustrating than attempting to sign up with your name or the name of your business, and finding out that the username is already taken. Registering your profiles early can prevent this and any confusion over who owns the domain. You\u2019d be surprised at how many requests we receive when another person with the same name as a client has posted inflammatory and embarrassing content on social media, only to be confused with another person. Claiming your profiles prevents this altogether.<\/p>\n

    Another great reason for claiming your social profiles is that it will prevent someone who wishes to do further harm to your reputation from registering under your name or business and posting slander. This happens! We can\u2019t emphasize enough how easy and important it is to claim your social profiles.<\/p>\n

    In addition to social media properties, you should also buy domain names associated with your name and business and anything directly related to you. Don\u2019t go crazy with dot com<\/em>purchases, but think ahead and secure anything that you don\u2019t want someone else to have control over. These domains can be used for blogs, CV websites, portfolios, and more. Even if you do not plan to use them immediately, having them in your possession can serve to benefit you in the future.<\/p>\n

    3. Establish Your Brand<\/h2>\n

    Whether you own a business or not, a personal brand will serve your online presence well. Consider who you are professionally, and how you want others to see you.<\/p>\n

    Write in a way online that exemplifies your brand, choose profile pictures and themes that best represent you. Build this brand into a template for your professional persona.<\/p>\n

    Anything that doesn\u2019t fit your brand \u2013 a Facebook account that your college friends post on, for example \u2013 should be secured with strict privacy settings. No one but close, personal friends should have access to find or view any personal information that could be held over your head online.<\/p>\n

    While you\u2019re establishing your brand, consider your areas of expertise and how you could establish yourself as an expert on them. For example, you might seek training in public speaking and begin offering lectures about your field. Research other leaders who specialize in similar areas and take note of their methods. Successfully establishing yourself as a leader in your area of expertise can generate much more positive content and be a huge boost for your online reputation.<\/p>\n

    Update:<\/strong> establishing your brand can help guide your social media strategy and improve your search results. Linking social media profiles and including your keyword \u2013 in this case, like your name or the name of your business \u2013 in all usernames, descriptions, and regularly in posts can help Google and other search engines identify which social media is yours, increasing the likelihood that these properties will rank well in results.<\/p>\n

    Even further, as social media users increase, with over 4.2 billion online in 2021<\/a>, so does the expectation from those users that they can find you on those platforms, so making sure your online brand is defined and recognizable is not the only key to getting them to rank in your results, but to help your audience find you online.<\/p>\n

    4. Tell Your Story and Be Present Online<\/h2>\n

    Now that you\u2019re on several social media platforms, have hopefully secured at least one domain name for your brand, and have defined what your image will be \u2014 it\u2019s time to establish a presence.<\/p>\n

    Make a regular posting schedule that\u2019ll keep you active on all your social media networks and create positive content on a blog. Regular blog links make great focal points for each of your posts on different profiles, simplifying the process of staying active. As you post content, tell your story, present your brand and research how to create captivating posts.<\/p>\n

    Combine your efforts to establish yourself as a leader and an expert with your content creation. Post thoughtful information relating to your field, tell your story, explain what you\u2019ve learned from your journey, and look for inspiration for new content on blogs of industry leaders. This will help you create useful posts that generate responses from your audience, helping your content rank higher on search engines.<\/p>\n

    Use visual content to establish authority and improve your online reputation in your market. Top areas of focus include:<\/p>\n