Managing your online reputation

Now be honest with me, have you ever Googled yourself? The answer is yes, isn’t it? But how did it make you feel? Were you disappointed? Amazed? Scared? What is your online reputation, asks Valorie Reavis from Linkup Marketing. The worldwide web has accumulated a lot of information about us, and we all know from the news that companies are also collecting and putting that information to use. However, have you ever Googled your company and really scrolled through the listings to see who has information on you and what they are saying? Now that can be scary first time round. With the advent of geo-location technology and the popularity of review sites, your brand has become public digital property. You’ll find yourself listed on plenty of listing sites you’ve never even heard of, but it is also likely there are some opinions associated with your company. Scary? Yes.  An opportunity? You bet! One of the key things we always do at Linkup Marketing when we get a new client who wants to get more action online is to see what Google has to say about them. We run an analysis with all sorts of fancy tools, but you can see a slimmed down version in a basic form by running a Google search on yourself and trawling through the list. Google may have its own ranking logic, but it certainly pays attention to other sites that have reputable information on them. Things to look at when you are reviewing your info on these sites:

• Do you have ownership of the listing?
• Is the information EXACTLY the same on each one?
• Is each listing complete? Think pictures and contact details.
• Do you have reviews?

You’ll want the answer to all of the above to be YES, although you don’t always get what you want, especially when it comes to the first question. But the richer your content, the greater your command will be over your online reputation. So start today by taking ownership of your Google profile and other online listings you have access to. Populate them with rich content including photos and images, and then start promoting them to your clients. And forget that old saying that it’s rude to ask. Come straight out with it and ask every one of your clients to leave a positive review on your Google page. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. And you definitely want those glowing Google reviews. Believe me!   Valorie Reavis is part of Linkup Marketing, an online and social media marketing specialist focusing on search engine marketing, salon email marketing programs and social media marketing for salons and spas www.linkupmarketing.com