Critical Reputation Management and the Current Impact of AI

Developments like AI are transforming reputation management and what it means for your brand. Gert Mellak of SEOLeverage.com discusses with James how to navigate this new landscape effectively, and how to fix your online reputation if needed.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 36:46 — 33.9MB)

In episode 1078, James sits down with Gert Mellak from SEOLeverage.com to discuss the evolving role of online reputation in decision-making. To maintain a good reputation and to fix your online reputation when it is damaged is made more complex by the current use of AI in aggregating and presenting information.

In their chat, James and Gert will explore reputation management strategy in this new landscape.

They’ll talk about the need for regular brand perception research in maintaining a positive image online.

And they’ll look at the effectiveness of fresh content in online reputation repair.

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Table of contents:

1. The growing complexity of search
2. How input impacts output
3. What you can do about negative information
4. Being aware of what’s out there
5. Proactive efforts and the payoff
6. Does everyone qualify for help?
7. How likely is success?
8. Current events versus historical factors
9. Some of today’s challenges
10. The need for process and responsibility
11. Why wait for an emergency?

The growing complexity of search

The complexity of search and reputation management has increased, says Gert. While Google is still crucial for controlling brand page rankings, people are now using platforms like WhatsApp, integrated with AI chatbots like ChatGPT, to search for products online – a significant shift in search behaviors.

AI-driven platforms like Copilot in Skype and Perplexity are diversifying the search landscape by providing chat-based information retrieval. Tools to accurately measure reputation across these varied platforms, however, are lacking, which is why Gert’s team seeks to prepare clients for this evolving search environment.

James is surprised – WhatsApp being used for searches? How do these AI platforms source their information? Gert says these platforms rely on pre-trained databases and indexes rather than performing live Google searches, which is why SEO remains relevant in shaping how brands are represented in AI-generated responses.

Download 15 Ways to Maintain or Improve Your Online Reputation (and the PDF transcription)

How input impacts output

Gert stresses the importance of the “input equals output” concept in AI. The quality of information fed into a language model like ChatGPT directly influences the quality of its output. Providing detailed and insightful training material can significantly enhance the generated content.

Gert’s book, Fix Your Online Reputation, includes a case study showing how a company improved its conversions by understanding and controlling the input material used by AI systems.

Managing online reputation is complex – various sources like employee reviews, customer feedback, and historical data can all influence a brand’s perception.

To effectively manage reputation, Gert advises businesses to be aware of all the information available about them online, including both positive and negative feedback. By knowing what is out there and actively moderating or creating content, companies can better influence how AI platforms perceive and present their brand.

What you can do about negative information

The best approach to dealing with negative information online, says Gert, is to outrank it with positive and neutral content rather than trying to get it removed. The latter can be a lengthy process that could potentially backfire.

While there are specific cases where Google might take down unfavorable content, these are rare and often limited to specific countries, making it only a partial solution.

With AI, managing negative information is even more complex because it involves retraining the AI with new and accurate data about your brand. Consistently providing updated and positive content helps change the AI’s understanding, much like educating a child, allowing businesses to regain control over their online reputation.

Being aware of what’s out there

Gert reiterates the importance of being aware of your online presence. Tools like Google Alerts, he says, are limited since they only track what is indexed by Google. Many social media platforms don’t allow Google to crawl their content, so it’s crucial to use comprehensive branding alert tools that monitor all mentions of your brand across various platforms.

These tools provide regular summaries and actionable insights, helping you to respond and moderate negative feedback effectively. By balancing negative reviews with positive ones, you can change the overall perception of your brand and maintain a favorable online reputation.

Feeding accurate information to AI tools is important, to shape both potential client impressions and AI-generated content about your brand. Proactively monitoring and managing your online presence ensures that AI engines use accurate and positive training material, helping to control and improve your brand’s reputation.

Proactive efforts and the payoff

Trust is crucial for conversions, so proactive online reputation management is essential for businesses where trust significantly impacts buying decisions. This, again, involves ensuring positive and accurate information is available about the brand online to counteract negative reviews that potential customers might find.

Gert shares a client’s experience, where negative online feedback led to six-figure monthly losses. Customers were demanding refunds after finding scam accusations during searches. Many businesses may unknowingly lose revenue due to poor online reputation, highlighting the need for active reputation management.

Does everyone qualify for help?

Does Gert have any criteria for selecting clients in reputation management?

Gert acknowledges that not everyone who comes to him gets help. He chooses projects carefully, often turning down companies he doesn’t feel comfortable working with.

Sometimes, even legitimate businesses can be unfairly targeted by a few negative reviews. And some individuals deserve a second chance, says Gert, as past issues may continue to haunt them despite their efforts to rehabilitate themselves.

James has seen how one negative article can significantly impact a business. One person he knows had a health product that was unfairly criticized, leading to substantial financial losses and the need for strategic reputation management.

Occasionally, addressing negative content directly can worsen the situation. In one case, a cease-and-desist letter wound up ranking high in search results, projecting a negative image of Gert’s client. Gert suggests focusing on creating and promoting positive content to outrank negative information strategically, rather than directly confronting hostile parties, to effectively manage and improve online reputation.

How likely is success?

Gert assures that the chances of success in reputation management are high. Google has a great interest in fresh, semantically coherent content across various platforms.

Understanding Google’s strategic preferences and creating content that aligns with these can significantly improve online reputation.

Success typically takes a few months and involves SEO efforts for both websites and other platforms like press releases and podcasts. The ultimate success, says Gert, is triggering a knowledge panel on Google, which means the engine understands your brand and what you stand for. This can hugely boosts your online presence and credibility.

Current events versus historical factors

James and Gert discuss how current events and historical factors both influence online reputation.

James, for instance, recalls an incident where a comedian had a noisy baby removed from a show. This escalated into a media frenzy, and illustrates how public perception can be swayed by immediate events. The comedian faced severe backlash, despite offering a refund and explaining his side.

Gert explains that news articles have varying lifespans. Some stick around for years if there’s little other content available. He suggests that proactive measures, such as creating related positive content or becoming an ambassador for relevant causes, can help shift the focus and mitigate negative impacts.

Immediate and strategic actions are key to manage reputation effectively. In severe cases, such as wrongful accusations, individuals may need to seek compensation and actively create positive content, or even consider a name change to counteract negative information.

Some of today’s challenges

Gert acknowledges that for some brands, renaming and rebranding can be an effective way to start fresh. Some individuals, however, lack marketing resources and face significant challenges when wrongfully targeted online.

James reflects on the rarity of individuals who have minimal online footprints. This can be a vulnerability, he says, if negative information surfaces. Gert stresses the importance of having a solid online presence, including up-to-date social media profiles, to provide a buffer against potential negative content and maintain a positive online reputation.

Curation and strategic deletion of outdated or irrelevant content helps maintain a streamlined and effective online presence. With this aim, James and his team deleted over 1,000 pages from his website to focus on high-quality, relevant traffic.

The need for process and responsibility

There’s a need for process and responsibility in reputation management, says Gert. There must be clear roles, standard operating procedures, and tools for monitoring and responding to reviews. He stresses that proactive measures, like regularly asking satisfied clients for positive reviews, are essential to counteract negative feedback effectively.

Gert also notes that some businesses are aware of their poor service but fail to take responsibility or improve it. Providing excellent service should be a priority before seeking reputation management services, as a solid foundation of good service minimizes negative reviews and supports a positive reputation.

James shares his beef with companies that offer poor service, and the negative impact it has on customer retention. High-level service support is a critical product feature and retention strategy, he says. Failing to communicate effectively and provide timely service ultimately damages reputation and customer relationships.

Why wait for an emergency?

Gert advises against waiting for an emergency to address reputation management. The opportune time to integrate your brand into AI algorithms is now, as these tools are continually improving their training and fact-checking processes.

Businesses and individuals have the opportunity to control the narrative by ensuring AI and search engines understand their brand’s strengths and authority based on external content, not just their website.

There’s a process, says Gert, of auditing how brands are perceived by search engines and AI, identifying why certain competitors rank higher, and addressing those gaps.

For assistance, Gert recommends visiting SEOLeverage.com. They provide search and AI branding reports that give a clear understanding of a brand’s online presence and actionable strategies for improvement.

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