Online reputation is a significant factor in the success of many businesses. This is because even a single negative review from a dissatisfied customer can adversely impact your company's image. If prospective clients come across your business and find such negative reviews, it's likely that they will move on and not think about entering your site again.

Accruing harmful content, however, is not unavoidable. You may encounter online customers that can put in a bad word for you or receive unfair negative testimonials that contain false information. Perhaps, even a competitor decides to attack you with several reputation-damaging articles. You can't effectively control what people say about you online, but keep in mind that there are ways to mitigate negative content from affecting your business.

Hiring an online reputation management (ORM) firm is a good start, but finding a reputable one can prove to be a challenging process. There are PR firms and SEO agencies that claim to provide reputation management services, but know that many of them end up being extremely limited on what they can deliver. If you're hunting for an ORM company to rectify your online business, here are several red flags you should avoid:

When purchasing domain names on your behalf, the company must give you unlimited access. There are firms out there that buy your branded domains, only to stop you from getting your hands on them later.

To save on costs, there are some agencies that group their clients' web assets on a single server. This is potentially dangerous because all it takes is one malicious party to do a reverse lookup to see what properties are hosted on that server. Before you hire an ORM, make sure to find out whether or not they have such practices. 

Another rampant cost-saving measure is a firm's tendency to build their own websites where they publish client information. It's a practice that's difficult to track, but Google can detect it and take it as a sign that your company is trying to mess with search results. Make sure that the agency you seek help from keep content on individual servers. 

Keep in mind that you're trusting the handling of your online reputation to a different entity, so the process of deciding which one to commit to can make and break your business. If you happen to select the wrong ORM, you may only make very little progress, or even make things worse. 

You know an ORM is reliable if they can show an extensive technical background, along with a robust content management experience. You can also gauge whether or not they a deep understanding of sales psychology and can offer custom reputation solutions. The best ORMs are those that can cater to the specific needs of your company. 

Content Removal is a highly-rated online reputation management firm. Whether you're a business or a personal brand, we offer various services, such as removal of defamatory content, reputation and crisis management, brand protection, content monitoring, and account recovery, among others. We are capable of creating a bespoke plan that can fulfill your every need. 

If you’re looking for an online reputation management company, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.