The good news is that there’s no mop or bucket required. You will however need to set aside a bit of time. We’re talking about cleaning up your online info.
The internet is fertile soil for digital weeds: old, inaccurate, and sometimes surprisingly awful information. Keeping information about you, your business, services or products, useful and positive is as necessary as washing your floors. Not doing so, risks not knowing what’s started to grow in that back corner. So, let’s get at it.
Your Website
Websites get hacked, sometimes quite randomly. Read through yours to make sure it says what you think it says, and that it doesn’t have information that you didn’t authorize. Also note any information that could be added, like service updates or new photos.
Search Engine Results
Check the results on major search engines, like Google and Bing. Search for your business name, brand names, and descriptive keywords. Follow links to check mentions of your business in news articles, directories, or review sites. Also, go to your own business listing and check the reviews.
Review Sites and Directories
Specifically check review sites and directories, like Yelp, business associations, or industry-specific directories. Make sure all of the information is up to date. Note that many of these sites also post customer reviews and ratings. If you find anything untoward, copy the page link for further investigation. Make sure that you have claimed and are now managing listings under your name.
Social Media Platforms
If you have social media pages, review the posts and comments. Note the frequency of in-house posts, and consider your strategy for the platform. Pages that haven’t been used in months, make it look like your business isn’t relevant anymore.
Do another search on other major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn, even if you don’t have your own account. Check for any mentions of your business.
What To Do About Negative Comments
The best thing you can do is to call us. Negative comments are hurtful, even when “it’s just business.” The worst thing you can do is react in the moment. Send us what you’ve found and where, and let us do some research. We’ll check it out, consider the source, platform, timing, etc., and then recommend a course of action.