What is an online reputation management company and how is it different from asearch engine optimization firm? An ORM company is a technical public relations firm that uses aggressive content marketing and search engine optimization to achieve wholesale change in search results for branded search terms.
Even if you can’t tell a meta tag from a long-tail keyword, you’re probably familiar with the concept of search engine optimization (SEO). SEO boosts your website’s search visibility and makes you easier to find online. It’s a core function of competent online reputation management companies—and, if you care about managing your web presence, you need to have a firm grasp of SEO.
But SEO is not online reputation management (ORM). Reputation management services definitely include an SEO component. But when it comes to comprehensive ORM campaigns, SEO is far from the whole story. Let’s take a look at the key differences between SEO and ORM.
Online Reputation Management Explained
ORM is important and SEO is a key part of most ORM campaigns. Online Reputation Management is even more basic in its definition, but broader in scope of what it entails. Online Reputation Management is exactly what the phrase suggests, managing your online reputation. Looking closer at some of what could have an online reputation is where this becomes difficult. Basically anyone, anything, or any company has an online reputation. The obvious ones are: people, companies, and brands.
ORM or SEO: Which type of online marketing is your company in need of?
he best and easiest way to help decide what it is that your company needs more, is to
Check Google, look for your company.
Where does it appear?
Does your company’s web presence appear early?
Is there negative information anywhere you can see?
Check the employees names for the same things.
If you see something negative, it is time to become a social media/SEO/Google Analytics expert or it is time to call a company which specializes in Online Reputation Management The longer you wait, the more click through’s the negatives will receive. When someone google’s your company, they will come across the negative. People are leery of trusting anything from the internet. People are much more likely to trust negatives over positives. Negative reviews get more credibility than positive reviews. If you see those negatives you need to be ready to act fast.
If you do not see anything negative about any of them, GREAT! You are ahead of the game. You have a couple of options from here and pursuing both of those options may be a smart move.
You can work hard improving the SEO of your web presence. Your web presence includes your website, social media, and outreach efforts like guest blogging and reviewing items and services related to your business.
Your other option is to be proactive and contact an experienced online reputation management company and allow them to begin tracking to make sure no negatives come alive online. This would allow you to have the piece of mind that if something happens, one of the top companies in the world at ORM and SEO is on top of it from the beginning.
Your third option is to do both. This is probably the best option. In addition to working on your company’s SEO and assisting with the development of a positive web presence, a good online reputation management company will monitor your web presence. This can give you the peace of mind you need to focus on the business that you know best.
