Best Online Reputation Management Services of 2023

• Reputation management services employ a combination of strategies to build and maintain a positive reputation or repair a negative one.
• Common reputation management strategies include content creation, review acquisition and management, social media management, search engine optimization, crisis management, and online monitoring and reporting.
• Custom reputation management services can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month.
• This article is for professionals and small business owners who want to learn about the best reputation management services available and how to choose an online reputation management service.

Knowing how important an online image is, many businesses and professionals turn to online reputation management companies to repair and/or maintain theirs. To help you choose an online reputation management service that’s right for you, we researched and analyzed more than 40 services. To select the services we think are best, we looked at various factors, including cost and contract length, their specific services, and whether they use black-hat tactics. Read on to learn about the best reputation management companies for individuals and small businesses.

If you want more tips on how to choose a reputation management company for your brand, check out our buyer’s guide.

While some companies have service plans with a set monthly cost, most online reputation management companies customize pricing, because not all businesses have the same reputation management needs. Most providers conduct a free initial analysis to see which strategies your business can benefit from the most. Based on that information, they build a campaign package for your specific needs.

The costs for reputation management services can be anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month. It all depends on the type of work you need done. Some of these services require a three-, six- or 12-month contract, while others work on a month-to-month basis that allows you to cancel at any time. 

Reputation management is the strategic monitoring and implementation of tactics to promote positive online content and suppress negative online content. These tactics can include any combination of content creation, review acquisition and management, social media marketing, search engine optimization, crisis management, content removal, public relations, and online monitoring.

Consumers go online to read about new products, vent about unsatisfactory services, and interact with their favorite brands’ social media accounts. To ensure that the information being spread about you is positive, it is important to facilitate reputation management tactics – or hire a service to do it for you.  

Online reputation management services employ multiple strategies to boost a brand’s online image. These are the most common ones: 

Content Creation 

Creating positive content is one of the best ways to suppress negative search results and build an online reputation that you can control. Most reputation management agencies offer some form of content creation, including websites, articles, blog posts, wiki sites, press releases, business profiles and business listings.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  Reputation management companies can help you optimize your online content for search engines. They make sure your content has the right keywords, metadata, and headlines to give it the best chance of being seen when people search for your business or businesses in your industry.

Review Acquisition and Management 

Online reputation management services can help you acquire and manage reviews on various platforms like Google, Facebook and Yelp. They reach out to your previous customers to acquire new reviews, send auto-responses and promote positive reviews. If you receive a negative review, they can respond to it on your behalf or quickly notify you to remedy the situation. Some companies focus specifically on review acquisition and management strategies as their primary means of reputation management. They provide a platform where you can manage every review-related task in one place.

Social Media Management 

Online reputation management companies can create social media accounts on the sites that are most relevant to your business (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest) and then monitor and manage those accounts. This includes setting up profiles for you on all relevant social channels, deciding what and when to post on those networks, and monitoring them for negative reviews. Active social profiles are a good way to promote your brand as well as to manage negative social comments. 

Crisis Management

Not all reputation management companies offer crisis management services, but it can be helpful when you are the target of a reputation attack. Some strategies they may implement to quickly improve your reputation are content removal or suppression, press releases, and positive content creation.  

Online Monitoring and Reporting 

Online reputation management companies can monitor other websites, blogs, forums, and news sites to see if people mention your business. They look at review sites like Yelp and Glassdoor, as well as any other websites or blogs where your business is being discussed. This ensures you know when people are talking about your business online and what they are saying. The companies can also monitor your reputation results and report back on how the campaigns are faring. They report information such as how your search results have improved and what social media and review sites are most beneficial for your business.

Reputation management companies provide a variety of services for businesses and individuals, including SEO, content development, social media creation and monitoring, review acquisition and management, and third-party website monitoring. However, your brand is unique, and your reputation management strategy should be too. 

When choosing an online reputation management service for your business or individual reputation, you need to factor in things like your budget, the features you want and the quality of the customer support. First, evaluate your current reputation in comparison to your ideal reputation. Are you repairing a negative online reputation, maintaining your current one or creating a completely new one? Which platforms would you like help managing? For example, maybe your website needs a revamp, your social media needs enhancement, or your company needs more reviews. 

You will also want to look for a company that can work within your anticipated timeframe and provides the level of customer support you need. Is this a two-month project, or will you need ongoing review maintenance? The level (and frequency) of the support you want should factor into your decision. 

Once you list everything you want an online reputation management company to accomplish for you, seek out trustworthy companies that specialize in those areas.

Check out our buying guide to learn more about how to choose an online reputation management service.

To better learn what small businesses and individuals look for in a reputation management service, we reached out to the community to get their opinions. We found that most people prioritize review management and plan flexibility. For example, Natik Ameen, CEO of Canz Marketing, said his company uses Podium to manage its online reputation, primarily because of Podium’s great customer relationship management features, including review management.  

“We use Podium for reviews, feedback, web chat and video chat,” Ameen told Business News Daily. “I like how it made it very easy for businesses to maintain relationships and connect with their customers.”

Most businesses, and some individuals, can benefit from review management, so this is a service you might want to prioritize when comparing reputation management companies.

You will likely want to find a reputation management service that also offers flexibility – customization and short-term contracts (ideally month-to-month service) are key. Max Harland, CEO of Dentaly, said his healthcare business chose WebiMax to manage its online reputation mainly because of the company’s extreme flexibility.

“Customers don’t need to commit to a long-term contract but can opt to use the service one month at a time,” he said. “The unique flexibility perk is beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises that do not have enormous funds at their disposal. It allows businesses to effectively manage their budget instead of dumping a large fraction of their budget to online reputation management alone.”  

To select the best online reputation management services for businesses and individuals, we started with a pool of more than 50 vendors that we found online, including those reviewed by other websites. Here is an explanation of our selection process.

Locating the Best Services

To find the best reputation management company, we started by consulting our previous list of reputation management vendors. We looked at other review sites and researched the industry in depth. We sought out online reputation management companies that were transparent about their services, with pricing and service information available on their websites. We immediately eliminated those that didn’t offer the full scope of online management services for small businesses and individuals. From this research, we compiled a list of more than 40 vendors.

Choosing the Best Services

We narrowed down our initial list to 14 finalists for our best picks. From there, we conducted a more in-depth analysis. We determined the specific services they offer, read user comments, reviewed Better Business Bureau ratings and complaints, and tested out services when demos were available.

Researching Each Service

We looked at the types of strategies the services employ, how transparent they are about the services they offer, whether they use black-hat tactics, the cost and contract length (when that information was available), customer service, online reviews, Better Business Bureau complaints, and whether they serve businesses, individuals or both. From there, we narrowed down our list to the top three reputation management companies by use case: WebiMax for small businesses, Gadook for individuals, and Podium for review management.

Analyzing Each Service

We adopted the mindset of a small business owner and gathered the data that would be readily available to such an individual. We contacted our best picks, posing as business owners and professionals, to test the companies’ customer support and learn more about the services. Each of our best picks withstood each round of testing.