Building a Reputation on the Internet: The Specifics of ORM and SERM”

Internet marketing is not limited to running advertising campaigns alone. It involves multiple objectives, one of which is managing brand reputation, which includes several crucial tasks related to ORM (Online Reputation Management) and SERM (Search Engine Reputation Management). It is essential to understand these concepts and consider them when promoting products or services. It is also crucial to learn how to handle reviews about the company and their purpose. QB Agency specialists provide their expertise on these issues and offer insights on how to effectively implement reputation management tasks in Internet marketing.

SERM

Consider this scenario: you wish to buy property in Turkey from the comfort of your home in Moscow. As many other Russian users do, you are likely to start searching for information online using search engines, as indicated by the Online Market Intelligence research. In fact, 42% of Russian users solely use search queries for their information needs, while the remaining 58% use other channels in addition to search engines, such as social media and applications.

Upon entering your query, you will receive numerous results from the search engine, including links to real estate aggregator websites and agencies that represent Turkish developers in Moscow and worldwide. The search engine considers various selection criteria, such as geo-location and keywords. You may view one or two search pages before contacting a specific company for their services, just like most users do. Studies have shown that 59% of users limit their search to sources in the top 10 results, while only 6% look at four or more pages.

Given this information, it’s reasonable to ask how a company can make its link more attractive to users if it appears in the top 10 results. This is where Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) comes in, which focuses on the business’s reputation in search engines and focuses on the top 20 results for a particular query. Ratings and reviews about the company determine this parameter. A user can see this information in their search query.

In the screenshot below, taken from Yandex, the most widely used search engine in Russia during the sanctions imposed on foreign services, various links to companies and agencies appear for the query “Buy Turkish real estate in Moscow.” The companies that have worked on their SERM are readily apparent from the ratings and the option to view reviews on the right-hand side. Users are more likely to choose companies with such information, as they value and consider the opinions of others who have previously purchased from that brand. Positive experiences are more likely to lead to new customers making a purchase.

The primary goal of Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) is to flood search engines with positive information about a company, replacing negative assessments and addressing challenging situations where negative feedback is harder to resolve. In certain cases, this can lead to crisis situations that require additional online and offline measures. Anticrisis Online Reputation Management (AORM) is responsible for dealing with such crises. This involves creating counter-content, potentially removing or replacing negative feedback, and communicating with negative reviewers in a neutral or positive manner, if necessary. Additionally, AORM may involve developing scripts for sales and technical support, speech writing for company executives, and website improvements aimed at increasing trust in the brand after a crisis. All of these actions require additional budgetary and time resources.

Effective SERM is not just a task for reputation marketing, but an essential requirement for any company with an online presence since it impacts sales and reputation. SERM focuses on creating and maintaining a positive brand reputation, correcting negative perceptions, neutralizing negative feedback, increasing the level of loyal users, countering negative reviews from competitors, analyzing customer feedback to improve product and service quality, and making the brand more attractive to potential partners. These tasks are usually carried out with users who are already interested in the company’s products or services, at the lower levels of the marketing funnel.

SERM is essential for all brands, including those that have already established a positive image since competitors may damage the brand’s reputation. However, it is particularly crucial for companies entering the market, launching a new product, undergoing rebranding, experiencing low demand, or engaging in an information war with competitors. SERM is mandatory in the marketing strategy when the audience’s loyalty to the business is unstable or non-existent. Ratings and reviews are just one component of building a company’s online reputation, although they are crucial.

ORM as a More Global Campaign

ORM encompasses a more comprehensive approach to online reputation management, which not only covers search queries but also social networks, forums, blogs, mass media, and other platforms, including the company’s website and its representative offices on other platforms. The primary objective of ORM is to quickly respond to any mention of the company in any source on the Internet.

The following tasks are included in ORM:

1. Registration of company accounts in directories, aggregator websites, geo services, and other sites to track real user reviews and respond promptly.
2. Encouraging customers to write genuine reviews about the company’s product or work in general. This can be incentivized, for example, through discounts on future purchases.
3. Placing custom reviews on specific resources, written in a neutral style with a positive connotation, preferably highlighting frequent customer interactions with the company.
4. Addressing negativity on various platforms by resolving issues, compensating damages, and removing reviews if possible.
5. All the above actions should work towards setting up search advertising to reflect all company reviews on output pages for specific user requests.
6. Maintaining expert blogs on profile portals and in the media.
7. Conducting SEO optimization of the company’s website.
8. Promoting social networks.
9. Publishing press releases, informative materials, and selling articles on third-party resources.
10. Promoting own sites for targeted queries such as the official website, blog, and telegram channel.
11. Conducting a reputation audit, including work with customer, partner, and competitor opinions and mentions of the company on the Internet.

Based on extensive practical experience in reputation marketing with various brands, we recommend implementing a comprehensive ORM approach. Such an approach will lead to more effective results, including the formation of audience loyalty to the brand and an increase in sales.

Three Main Principles of Reputation Marketing.

Reputation marketing is a continuous effort aimed at building brand reputation and cultivating a loyal audience through various tools and tactics, including SERM. However, there are several crucial points to consider.

Firstly, working on search queries alone is insufficient, as it must be done in conjunction with other ORM tasks, such as engaging with customers on social networks, communicating with bloggers, and generating image publications in the media. Neglecting these tasks could lead to a negative impact, especially if negative reviews exist on social networks but there are no ratings on search pages, which can increase user distrust.

Secondly, neither SERM nor ORM is a one-time job, as the top 20 search results for which SERM is designed are constantly changing. Similarly, social networks and other sources of customer communication are constantly evolving, requiring continuous review and management.

Thirdly, reputation marketing can only serve as a support, not a complete solution to underlying problems. It is crucial to address the root causes of negative situations, such as improving the quality of the company’s service, optimizing the product line, and implementing loyalty programs.

Ultimately, a professional approach is necessary to achieve success in reputation marketing.

At QB Agency, we provide comprehensive reputation management services for your business. Our team of experts is equipped to conduct a thorough evaluation of your company’s online presence, devise a strategy for improvement, and establish processes for search query management, site optimization, and social media engagement. We offer personalized solutions tailored to address any specific problems or negative situations that your brand may be facing. Trust in our professional expertise to help protect and enhance your online reputation.