How To Repair Your Online Reputation
A recent survey revealed that nearly 50% of employers decided not to hire candidates based on unfavorable content they found online.
Are you confident that when hiring authorities Google you, everything they read will shape a favorable executive image?
Senior-level candidates undergo intense evaluations, and ‘digital dirt’ can remove you from consideration. Cultivating a positive online presence so that your digital footprint mirrors the value you are offering employers means that you must proactively manage what is being shared about you online.
Conduct An Online Audit
Before launching a brand repair strategy, you must assess your brand equity and digital damage. The following tools will help you take inventory.
1. Google Search. Yes, this one is simple. Perform a Google search of your name. See what comes up, especially on page one, and what that content links to online.
2. Google Alert. Set up automatic notifications so that you are aware of any new information about you that surfaces on the web.
3. Google Images. Conduct an online search within the images category of Google’s search results. Click on the link, which will lead you to the source content.
What to do next: If you find negative information, you can submit a content removal request to Google. Before you do that, I recommend reaching out to the person or company that posted the negative article or news about you.
If you cannot get the content removed, the next best thing to do is to push the content down so that the harmful publication(s) are no longer dominating the search results.
Communicate Your Value Across Diverse Channels
Trust-building is one of executive leadership’s biggest obstacles today, and employers no longer rely exclusively on a candidate’s resume to determine their qualifications. In today’s digital-driven job search market, employers are looking for other sources to screen candidates and find information supporting the individual’s qualifications for the job.
How to Overshadow Negative Online Content With A Positive Online Brand
Sometimes, one blemish can skew an employer’s perspective about your trustworthiness.
If you need to clean up your reputation, mounting an online brand-building campaign with a sweeping positive content spin will help you push negative results off page one of Google.
Where to Start?
LinkedIn. Set up your online profile on www.linkedin.com. It is free, although LinkedIn offers premium subscriptions. Make sure your profile is entirely populated, but more importantly, be sure to ask your network for recommendations. When it comes to reputation management and repair, third-party endorsements are highly influential.
Blogging. Create thought leadership content and cultivate a robust digital presence. Popular blogging platforms that you can set up for free include Blogger.com + LinkedIn.com + Typepad.com.
Blogging consistently will help build your credibility and showcase your expertise. Whatever you choose to write, make sure it is focused on a particular topic relevant to your industry and is between 300 and 600 words.
Personal Website. Steer and energize your brand’s digital footprint with your own personal website. Yourdomain.com carries a lot of weight when it comes to brand building. If you own yourname.com, you can truly control what shows up on page one in Google search.
Where can you set up your website? Here are a few top free choices for website building.
1. Wix.com
2. About.me.com
4. Squarespace.com
Guest Blogging. Consider submitting an article to an alumni newsletter, industry-related newsletter, or magazine.
Social Networks. As an executive, your brand is critical to your company’s digital equity. So, not only will being on social media keep your brand relevant, but you can also connect with other industry professionals and strengthen your thought leadership clout.
I mentioned LinkedIn because it is all professionals’ social media giant. However, there are other social media platforms you should consider, such as the following:
1. Twitter.com
2. Facebook.com
Press Releases. Announcing your accomplishments via press release distribution can enhance your online visibility and magnify your exposure. The following are the top free press release sites.
1. PR Newswire
2. PR.com
3. PRleap.com
Videos. Why do you need to leverage video to build your online brand? The internet is becoming mobile-first. Video is the most popular search option for mobile users. In fact, according to Brandwatch.com, “YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and third most visited site after Google and Facebook.”
What to do next: Create a video introducing yourself and sharing your elevator pitch and leadership philosophy. Often, videos show up in Google’s search results on page one. If you enjoy making videos, build an online portfolio, and grow your YouTube Channel.
Maintain a Consistent, Professional Presence
When you establish and expand your online presence, it is imperative that you send a clear and consistent message across all your communications. Become crystal clear about your value proposition and stream that message across multiple online channels (social media, press releases, blogs, videos, and personal websites).
Employers want to know what value you bring to their organization, and they are looking for authenticity that will affirm their choice in your candidacy.
By taking the time to build a professional online image that matches your career marketing documents (executive resume, LinkedIn profile), you will yield tremendous ROI. You will be better off controlling what Google says about you.
Good luck!