How to Take Care of Your Online Reputation
Although your name is unique to you alone, keep in mind that there could be someone else with the same name or a similar name, especially in the online world. Because of this, you work hard to maintain your reputation so that you can avoid falling victim to another person's mistakes. Such a situation can happen if someone with the same name as you or your company is involved in a scandal or some type of negative publicity.
The reputational downfall associated with their name can affect you since you share the same name, and, as a result, the same search results. Sometimes, the actions that other people take can affect your own reputation in a severe way.
If you ever get caught up in a similar circumstance, you may be left wondering, “What do I do if someone with the same name as me is involved in a scandal?
That said, here are several steps to reclaim your individual online and offline reputation.
1. Differentiate your name
You may be able to clean up your search results quickly if you change the way people search for you online. Think about how you want people to search for your name, and start using that variation or your name all the time. Once you decide on your name as you want people to search for it, it’s important to stick to that version of your name.
Here are a few options to consider to differentiate yourself:
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Use a nickname
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Use your full name if you normally go by a nickname
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Include your middle name or initial
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Use your middle name instead of your first name
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Change your name (drastically, but it would work!)
2. Optimise your web presence
Know that Google typically ranks the most relevant content at the top of search results. If you make an effort to create engaging content of your own, you can rank higher than the negative content that belongs to your doppelgänger. All of your positive content will be seen first, effectively suppressing the negative content you’d like to hide. This can be a win for you since a byproduct of your work will be improving their reputation as well.
Here are a few ways to do this:
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Create a website: Make sure your site has all of your correct contact information, updated information on yourself or your company, and clearly distinguish you from anyone else that may share your name. Include any positive news items or awards that you’ve received as well.
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Blog frequently: Your blog can be a separate website or a page on your main site. Since search engines reward fresh content, blogging often can help you move up in search results.
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Claim your social media profiles: Optimise your profiles and post regularly. Make a presence for yourself on all the main platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Crunchbase) and fill out your profile completely.
3. Request to remove negative content:
This one is not guaranteed to work, but it’s always worth a try. You can request that the site owner remove content that is damaging your reputation.
4. Monitor your search results
You should all be monitoring your search results regardless of whether or not you are dealing with a doppelgänger. It’s the best way to stay up-to-date on where your reputation stands. By carefully watching your search results, you will be better equipped to repair them faster and easier.
Here are a few tips to effectively monitor your search results:
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Set up alerts for different variations of your name, including common misspellings.
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Take advantage of free tools to set up alerts, like Google’s Me or TalkWalker.
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Monitor what is being said about you on social media using sentiment analysis tools.
Own your reputation online
If you have a very common name or share a name with someone with a negative online reputation, it can be difficult to reclaim your own good reputation. Fortunately, the steps can make sure that people see what you want them to see when they Google your name. By differentiating yourself online, optimising your web presence, and monitoring your search results, you can expect to set yourself apart from your doppelgänger to regain your positive reputation.
If you are looking for online reputation management services to help you manage your online reputation, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
