Beginner’s guide online reputation management

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What is online reputation management?

Online reputation management is about controlling what people see when they search your name online. It involves staying on top of your internet privacy by monitoring and maintaining your digital footprint. For many people, this begins with social media. 

You’ll need to keep a tab of your different accounts, making sure that what people see on your profiles presents you in the best light possible. This goes for all platforms, like Linkedin and Instagram, and even older ones that no one uses these days, such as Myspace. What you posted in 2007 is still lingering online these days.  

Managing your personal reputation goes beyond social media. You should regularly check news sites, blogs, and review platforms for mentions of your name. What is said about you online, and what you share online, is available for all to see. Anyone can look you up on social media or search your name on Google. Online reputation management is about managing this.

Why is online reputation management important?

Here are just a handful of reasons why managing your online reputation matters:

• Job prospects. According to a YouGov survey, 19% of employers have turned down job applicants based on their online presence. This jumps to 28% for bigger companies.
• Client research. Potential customers often look you up online before doing business with you.
• Housing access. Landlords might check your online reputation before renting to you.
• Public roles. Your digital footprint can affect your chances of landing community or public positions.
• Dating life. Many people research potential dates online before meeting.
• Community standing. What's online about you shapes how your local community views you.

Everyday examples of online reputation management

1. A new school teacher turns all their social media accounts to private when they start a new job, so parents or kids can't look them up online. They also replace their surname with an initial so they can't be found easily.
2. A job seeker who had some embarrassing party photos from college visible on their Facebook profile goes through and deletes or untags themselves from those images before applying for jobs. They also update their LinkedIn profile with their latest work accomplishments and skills.
3. A small business owner who received some negative reviews online responds professionally to each one, addressing the concerns raised and explaining steps taken to improve. They also encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to help balance out the overall ratings.
4. A new politician running for office for the first time carefully reviews their past social media posts, deleting any that could be seen as controversial or unprofessional. They then start sharing more content related to community issues and their policy positions.
5. A person who was involved in a minor legal issue years ago uses the Right to be Forgotten to request that old news articles about the incident be removed from Google. This allows them to move on from past mistakes without those articles continuing to damage their reputation.

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4 steps for proactive online reputation management.

Here are 4 ways you can protect and boost your online reputation.

1. Make your social media profiles private. Review and adjust privacy settings on your social media accounts to hide your information from public view. This will hide all photos and posts, so that only your friends, followers, or connections can see your information. 
2. Set up Google Alerts for your name. You can ask Google to email you if it detects any new content that mentions your name online. This is useful if you’re in the public eye, or people leave reviews of your services. 
3. Post positive content on social media. Online reputation management doesn't have to mean making your profile private. Share professional insights on Linkedin, take part in communities and groups on Facebook, and share cool pictures of your hobbies and interests on instagram. 
4. Showcase your achievements. Update your social media profiles so they include details of your professional qualifications and all of your significant achievements, like important positions you have held, raising money for charity, or courses you’ve completed.

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4 steps for reactive online reputation management.

www.interneterasure.co.uk/right-to-be-forgotten-get-links-removed.htmlIf negative news or social media posts appear about you online, here’s what you should do:

1. Contact website owners. If it's a news article or a post on a forum, get in touch with the website owner. Politely explain your situation and ask if they'd consider removing or updating the content. You can use the template in our free guide to help.
2. Make a public statement. If the issue is in the public domain, either locally or nationally, consider addressing it head-on. Write a clear, honest statement explaining things and post it online or contact a journalist. If it’s a negative review or comments online, write a diplomatic reply.  Remember to keep it professional and avoid getting defensive.
3. Use search engine removal requests. Google and other search engines have processes for requesting content removal. Fill out Google’s form and submit your case. Be prepared to explain why the content should be taken down.
4. Explore your legal rights. Look into GDPR privacy laws like the "Right to be Forgotten". This can help you remove outdated or irrelevant information from search results. It's worth consulting a legal expert to understand your options fully, too.

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Read our post for more tips on how to improve your online reputation with the Right to be Forgotten.

About the Right to be Forgotten

The Right to be Forgotten, also called the Right to Erasure, is part of the UK’s privacy laws and allows individuals to request their personal data be removed from online sources, including search engines. If you can prove information about you online is outdated, no longer relevant, or untrue, you may be entitled to have it removed. However, it’s not an absolute right. Limitations exist to balance privacy with public interest, freedom of expression and access to information. Requests to search engines can be denied for various reasons, including matters of public importance or ongoing legal proceedings. Our article on when the Right to be Forgotten applies in the UK explains more.

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How Internet Erasure can help

Exercising your Right to be Forgotten can be difficult, so that’s where Internet Erasure can help. As the UK's most-recommended Right to Erasure specialists, we understand all the ins and outs of this useful-but-complex law. Our team of experts has successfully removed over 40,000 damaging links, articles and photos, helping more than 900 individuals rebuild their reputation. If something online is damaging your reputation, get in touch with us. With a remarkable 94% success rate to date (still working on removing the others), we could soon help you make the fresh start you deserve. 

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Testimonials

Here’s what happy customers are saying about us on​ Trustpilot.
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"We have used Internet Erasure to help us remove fake reviews from our Google profile, they managed this very quickly with ease and we are grateful for the service we have received."
"Removal of personal content on websites. Dealt with my case very quickly, kept me informed, am really happy as it was affecting my life"