Humans are social creatures, which is why social status has always meant a lot in our lives. Social approval is a very strong catalyst for one’s happiness, performance, and kindness. The wisdom of the crowd is just a single bias we fall victim to every day. Bias is a mental shortcut, which is helpful for coping with informational abundance. Yet, much like in racing video games, not all the shortcuts end up being helpful.
Poor first impression can create bad publicity via word-of-mouth. This is especially true for the digital world, where the news spreads at lightning speed. Much like in real life, bad publicity is not a stigma you are forced to wear until the end of the days. However, it is something you can’t get rid of easily. But hey, at least there are a few ways to patch up a tarnished image. Let’s get to know them.
Fixing one’s online image
Whether it’s online or offline, the best way to fix one’s public image is not letting it be damaged in the first place. Yet, no human being is able to carry a reputation without reproach — after all, the reputation is forged by other humans, who happen to be quite flawed. Sometimes, letting go is the best strategy, when instead of drawing even more publicity to a negative event, you do nothing and let things pass.
Take, for example, Susan Boyle, who invited her fans to a very special party with the hashtag: #susanalbumparty. It was 2012, and the singer wanted to celebrate the release of her new album — Standing Ovation. Was the party a success? — No idea, but it certainly enjoyed a lot of attention.
Sometimes, however, you are forced to answer the call, as silence solidifies the negative perception of you. This is where reverse SEO comes in handy. Instead of promoting a certain page online, you do the opposite and try to take it down instead. One thing you should always remember is that the internet forgets nothing. So, triple-check the content you are about to publish, as it’s easier to re-do a post from scratch or to violate the posting schedule than to wash away the negative publicity.
Everything that can be done offline is applicable here too: you can start screaming out loud how good you and your company truly are — which is not very effective. Alternatively, you can turn a piece of negative publicity into a positive one with a bit of creativity. Learn from Coca-Cola, the magicians of PR, capable of turning bad news into good news.
Specifically, they managed to get away from negative publicity, created by C. Ronaldo, when he explicitly put away 2 bottles of sponsored cola and encouraged to drink water instead. What did they exactly do? Well… they professionally replied that everyone is entitled to their own choices and preferences of soft drinks.
Getting more tech-savvy
Those were the extreme approaches when you either do nothing or turn a reproach into a compliment. Most of the time, though, you will have to fight off negative publicity with constant publications to take down the negative post. The first 10 links of Google are visited like 90% of the time, so everything after it is out of sight and mind. You can force the negative webpage to rank lower, either yourself or with the help of specialists.
One thing to remember is that there is no “undo” button — once the damage is done, it is done. You can only learn from it and compensate it. While erasing a piece of content is possible in some cases, it is usually infeasible and time-consuming. It’s just better to counter negative publicity with the positive one, instead of hunting down the former.
Reverse SEO with content creation
Genuine content creation is one of the most organic ways to drive traffic. Basically, it’s the same SEO but with a different purpose, so all the basic rules apply here as well:
- No keyword stuffing (2.5% of a text)
- Weekly newsletter
- Stable press releases
- Patience before the posts start to gain traction (2–3 weeks)
You can also apply for influencers, as they enjoy extreme credibility, and being very close to the target audience. It would also be great if you were able to incentivize the users to make the content, highlighting your goodwill and other advantages. Social proof is a very strong armor for your public image.
If you want to reach new GEOs and audiences, maybe it is all waiting for you on Telegram? We’ve prepared some material about Telegram audiences. What are the messenger’s users like this year? How old they are, what they do, and what they are interested in!
Reverse SEO with a business listing
Business listing is important for informing your current and future clients how to reach you out. Basically, it includes every point of contact: name, address, website, niche, activity — each piece of essentials. Unless you wish to confuse search ranking, it is important to maintain consistency here. For example, Google can get confused when your phone number on Facebook differs from Google My Business. Use it to your advantage and update a couple of listings here and there. Just make sure to target those with a vast audience:
- BrownBook
- CitySquares
- eLocal
- eBusinessPages
- Google Business
- Hotfrog
- Lacartes
- Manta
- Merchant Circle
- Superpages
- Tripadvisor
- Yelp
Reverse SEO with page audits
Conducting the audit of one’s own webpage is always good, no matter whether it’s SEO or reverse SEO. Such an audit can be conducted either by a specialist or using some piece of software, like SEMRush, which has a free trial version. Alternatively, go for such products as Moz or Ahrefs — tons of them! To properly conduct (reverse) SEO, it is good for you to be able:
- To increase page speed
- To optimize keyword difficulty and search volume terms
- To use the aforementioned keyword research tools
- To avoid using the same keyword too many times in web content
- To be proficient at Internet marketing
- To know how to establish a positive online presence
Reverse SEO with social media
It’s not really a strategy in itself, but rather a set of places you should look for when trying to counter negative publicity. Social media are called “social” for a reason — they gather huge audiences. So, if you want to wash away the damage caused to your reputation, there is no better place to start off. Consider the following platforms to spread the words of goodwill:
- YouTube
- Telegram
- Threads
- Tumblr
Don’t forget about some local networks, popular in specific parts of the world, e.g., Zalo (a Vietnamese version of Telegram). Remember also that each time you address a topic, you bring additional attention to it. There is no guarantee you can fix the negative word-of-mouth, but it’s certain that you will contribute to the topic’s popularity growth. If you want to know more about companies successfully coping with poor publicity, check out these 7 cases, some of which have already been mentioned.
Conclusion
Once again, we remind you that reverse SEO rarely can erase the content itself. Rather, it is helpful for counterbalancing it with more positive publicity. Even if you can persuade the news agencies and social engine owners to erase some data, it is usually unreasonably expensive, up to $20k for a thorough campaign. This is why, we encourage you not to make a slip and check everything before publishing. Right, Susan? 🙂
