Removing Bad Publicity

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The reach of the Internet is a bit of a double-edged sword: while word of your business can extend far and wide, that also means that your business can earn a negative reputation just as quickly. To combat this, there are several measures that can reverse your business’ bad publicity and ensure that your company’s online presence won’t be overcome with negative feedback.

Over 60% of Internet users will only peruse the first page of results on a search engine before entering new search terms, so it’s crucial to stay on top of your company’s SERPs (search engine result pages) and be informed of any negative attention your business generates.

The next step is devising a strategy for reputation management, which can include a combination of approaches: confronting the negativity directly, starting an organic SEO campaign, and circulating positive PR are just three ways that you can reverse bad publicity.

Every company must deal with dissatisfied customers, but what sets a successful company apart from the rest is that those ...
... who reach out and address their customers’ problems are much more likely to reverse that dissatisfaction.

Confront and Respond to Negative Publicity
One way to address negative publicity is by seeking out negative feedback aimed at your company and responding in a respectful manner. No matter how inflammatory or unfair the review is, keep an upbeat, positive tone with any response. In the best-case scenario, the review writer can retract his or her feedback. If that doesn’t work, and the feedback still shows prominently in search results, it will also show that your company acknowledged the problem rather than ignoring it or accusing the reviewer of making false statements.

A skilled copywriter can address these issues with the clarity and tact necessary to diffuse the situation. A response should point out the truths in the original feedback and also point out any misconceptions. You can also take this opportunity to leave contact information to reassure other customers that your company is easily accessible when problems arise.

Start an Organic SEO Campaign
An organic campaign will take a natural approach to giving you the right publicity in SERPs.

While public relations departments are highly trained in dealing with bad publicity, they might not have the tools necessary to address these issues on such a large scale †this is where SEO companies come into play. With extensive knowledge in the workings of Internet search engines, SEO specialists can not only bump up positive reviews but also bury negative publicity so that your company’s reputation remains intact.

Start a Positive PR Campaign
Circulate some positive PR by having copywriters compose articles about your company and your products. Put your latest market research to work in articles that address all the negative publicity and †at the same time †show why customers should choose you over your competitors.

If bad publicity becomes so widespread that your company inevitably shows up in SERPs in a negative light, the best thing you can do is address the accusations on your own website.

Overall, the best thing your company can do to combat negative publicity is to confront it rather than ignore it. By taking this proactive approach, you can set the record straight and regain consumer confidence.

Contact us should you need assistance in dealing with bad publicity, we can help!