Negative reviews on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Ripoff Report will damage your brand’s online presence . So how can you protect your company from defamatory and false reviews that show up on search results for your business? Here’s the best strategy.
Don’t engage site or users directly
Don’t send emails demanding to have the content removed or engage with the person who posted the content in an attempt to resolve the issue. The main reason: both users and content posted are not verified.
There have been reports of users posting fake reviews in an attempt to solicit money from businesses they criticize. A few of these sites also claim to offer paid services to remove bad reviews but business owners should be extremely wary of any site offering to remove or edit a review in exchange for cash.
Get on social media
If one of these negative reviews makes its way onto the first page of Google’s search results, create social media profiles to bury it. Not only do active and relevant social media profiles outrank negative reviews, they also provide your past, present, and future clients with better information.
Even if you already have a Facebook and Twitter account, don’t be afraid to expand beyond that to Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Quora. It’s also a good idea to get on Foursquare, Google+, and any other sites where reviews are verified by real users and not nameless people who don’t have to be accountable for what they say. Remember to update these regularly to ensure they stay at or near the top of the search result rankings.
Encourage positive reviews
You need to encourage customers to post positive reviews on verified review sites. Like social media profiles, positive reviews from credible review sites will outrank negative reviews from defamation sites.
Depending on what your business does, sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Angie’s List, or even Facebook are great places to have satisfied customers leave reviews. Of course, getting them to do that can be difficult.
Consider offering a discount to customers who post a review of your business on any of these sites. Doing this will help you climb up in search rankings while increasing customer loyalty.
Combine efforts with an SEO strategy
To optimize your brand’s search results, you will have to create positive content that is search engine optimized. Aside from social media profiles and good reviews on verified sites, optimizing search results for your brand start with its website. Promote a positive message about your brand with benefits and customer reviews.
Strengthen your website with regular content such as newsletters, case studies, and blog articles. Content is about building consumer trust by being helpful. An informative blog is the best way to start.
Avoid “selling” your brand on every piece of content. The best practice is keep this down to 20% of your overall content, or two out of ten blog articles.
Try posting helpful videos on your company’s YouTube and be active on all your social media. It also won’t hurt to partner with influencers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram to spread positive comments about your brand.
These are just a few strategies companies use to manage their online presence. For more ways to get positive search results, call our team of experts today.
Don’t let negative reviews ruin: South Florida Business Takeaways
Don’t let negative reviews ruin matters when a growing company depends on reliable devices, cloud tools, cybersecurity, and responsive support. Nextek IT helps South Florida businesses turn this topic into practical technology standards that employees can follow.
The right technology habit is easier to maintain when it is part of a managed standard instead of a one-time fix. Nextek IT helps South Florida teams turn practical tips into repeatable IT support processes.
- Document the recommended process so employees apply Don’t let negative reviews ruin consistently.
- Review settings across managed devices, Microsoft 365, cloud apps, and user accounts.
- Confirm backups, cybersecurity controls, and support escalation steps before a small issue becomes downtime.
For help with Don’t let negative reviews ruin, explore Nextek IT’s fully managed IT services, server and desktop support, and cybersecurity services.
Contact Nextek IT when your South Florida team wants these improvements handled by an IT support partner instead of manually page by page.