You rank highly in the search results – but is your reputation hurting enquiries?

Your website ranks at the top of search engines for key phrases but it’s not translating into sales or enquiries. Why?

A key phrase is one step of the customer purchase journey. Once they have found your product or service, they will look to other areas of the web to build an impression of you.

This is unsurprising when 91 per cent of people say they rely on online reviews as much as personal recommendations and will read an average of seven opinions before trusting an organisation.

So you’re the first result for what they want and now it’s time to research your brand. Lo and behold, there is a social media post from 2012 where you called one customer an idiot, an employee statement on Glassdoor said you banned lunch breaks and there’s a news article about the time you turfed a local football team off your land.

You’ve invested in an SEO expert to rank your key phrases, but it’s important to pay attention to your online reputation as this is what helps translate searches into sales.

What could be impacting your reputation?

Google reviews – These are one of the first things people will see when they search for your company. Consumers build their opinions based on unbiased views from others.

Slander on social media – Have you ever thought to search yourself on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram? What kind of things are people saying about you? It’s also important to consider your personal accounts and what is out there for people to read about you.

Also look for unofficial accounts to see where conversations are taking place about your brand and address negative posts across all social media channels to show you engage in customer service.

Employee reviews – Websites such as Glassdoor provide an opportunity for employees, both former and current, to leave sometimes painfully honest opinions of their employer anonymously.

Review sites – There are niche sites that allow you to offer your rating on everything, from plumbers to teachers. As an example, many of us can admit to choosing a restaurant based on its achievement of number one establishment in the area on Tripadvisor. Rather than a tonne of negativity, maybe it’s a case of not enough feedback from customers, which leaves you ranking further down.

Media – What are online news sites and bloggers saying about your brand? Is it negative or positive? Or maybe there hasn’t been much coverage since 2017 which might lead stakeholders to wonder why and form their own ideas in their head.

If you want to discuss your digital footprint, contact an online reputation management agency today.