Latest / Online Reputation Management Podcast / How to Manage Your Online Reputation?
Transcript
- James Dooley: So many businesses struggle with this—or they might not even know they’re struggling, which is the worrying thing. Today we’re talking about how to manage your online reputation. Why is it important to manage your online reputation? Kasra Dash: It’s extremely important because it’s part of branding. You want to control the messaging for your brand. If you don’t, and someone leaves a one-star review that ranks on page one for your brand name, that creates a negative stigma and can cost you customers. If it’s a close decision and someone sees a bad review, they may choose your competitor instead. So ORM is essential for all businesses, from small companies to large enterprises. Kasra Dash: The first thing is setting up alerts—Google Alerts is the easiest. Put in your brand name or your personal name, and it notifies you every time someone mentions you online, not just on review platforms but across the web. James Dooley: So if you do get negative feedback, what’s your tactic? Kasra Dash: If it’s a genuine customer, I want to know why they’re unhappy. I take the conversation offline—email or call them—to resolve it. There were times customers left a one-star review because of something we didn’t realize, like leaving a mess on a construction site. Once we fixed it, they changed it to a five-star review. A lot of negatives can be turned positive if you understand the frustration and address it. Kasra Dash: Encouraging people to leave reviews is also a challenge for most businesses. We use a template that automatically goes out after a job. And yes, I absolutely recommend asking customers directly. People are quick to leave one-star reviews when unhappy but rarely leave five-stars unless prompted. You can also use NFC review cards, and collect reviews across platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and more. James Dooley: And incentivizing reviews works too—things like cashback or Amazon gift cards. Kasra Dash: Another recommendation: Google your brand and look at page one. Are you happy with what shows up? If not, create positive assets—guest posts, power posts—that rank for your brand keywords. Your Google SERP is your new business card. Also secure all your social profiles even if you’re not active, because a competitor can claim them. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait for a bad review before acting. Build a strong, authoritative brand SERP so negative reviews don’t rise to page one. James Dooley: Another thing with negative reviews—learn from them. If multiple customers complain about the same issue, it’s probably valid feedback. Some business owners don’t want to hear it, but accountability is key. What about controlling visuals, like videos and images? Kasra Dash: Absolutely. On YouTube, I want full control from ranking position one to ten. If a video praises me, I’ll power it up and share it. Same with images—make sure your best work ranks in Google Images. Share images on Pinterest, Flickr, etc. Also optimize video content so it appears in YouTube and Google video carousels. Control the messaging your potential customers see. That’s the essence of ORM. James Dooley: And finally, invest in SEO—not just on your own site but on other platforms using Barnacle SEO or Parasite SEO. You can rank third-party sites for “[Your Name] reviews” to dominate page one. If someone Googles “Kasra Dash reviews,” they’ll see a page full of articles saying how great you are. That’s the power of controlled, proactive ORM.