Best Online Reputation Management Services of 2020
Updated: July 9, 2020
Update: This page has been updated with a new section on how to choose the best online reputation management company.
Whether you are an aspiring business professional or the owner of an established small business, your online reputation can make or break you. Businesses and consumers are searching online to learn about your brand before deciding to work with you. Just as a positive online reputation can earn you more customers, a negative online reputation can deter them from purchasing your products or services.
Many businesses are turning to online reputation management companies to maintain their positive reputations or repair negative ones. The best services employ a wide range of strategies to help your online image pique consumers' interest. Read on to learn about the best reputation management companies for individuals and small businesses, and then check out our guide for tips on how to choose a reputation management company for your brand.
Our Best Picks
Best for Small Businesses
Best for Individuals
Best for Review Management
Editor's note: Looking for the right online reputation management service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.
Summary
Pricing for WebiMax's reputation management services is customized based on the specific strategies your business needs. The agency doesn't require any long-term contracts, and instead works on a month-to-month basis, giving you the flexibility to change strategies at any time.
WebiMax also provides a wide range of other digital marketing services, including web design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media marketing, conversion optimization, link removal and e-commerce solutions. The company's website offers helpful resources such as blogs, white papers and FAQs. For additional questions or support, you can contact WebiMax agents via phone, email or a contact form.
Summary
To determine which of these services you need, Gadook conducts an analysis of your current online reputation. Based on what it discovers, the agency implements a specific plan to either repair a negative online image or boost a positive one. Its strategies include creating positive, search-optimized content to push negative content off the first few pages of the search results. Gadook customizes pricing for each business depending on the strategies it employs. Although the company does not require a long-term contract, it recommends you stick with its campaign for at least three months to achieve your desired results.
Gadook offers additional marketing services, such as web marketing, web design and development, project management, system administration, and senior-level participation. These services cost $80 per hour. Regardless of which strategies you choose to employ, you can reach a Gadook representative with any questions by phone, online contact form or web chat.
February 2020: Gadook charges a setup fee of $199, but you may be able to have this fee waived. All sales for services are final, including the setup fee. Under certain circumstances, refunds or prorated credit may be granted; however, processing and/or early cancellation fees may apply.
Summary
You can also take advantage of a centralized inbox. The Podium platform compiles your messages from several locations – such as Facebook, Google, Instagram, text messages and your website – into one location. You can filter conversations, set automated responses and improve response time. You can also integrate Podium's chat widget onto your website, giving customers the option to communicate with you by text.
April 2020: Podium recently released its new Payments feature to its suite of interaction management tools, which allows businesses to engage with customers through text-based payment links. Podium Payments reaches customers via their preferred method of communication, which simplifies customer payments, enhances customer satisfaction and increases payment completion rates.
Podium offers customized plans for each business, and its pricing is tailored to your needs and budget. However, the company requires an initial 12-month contract. If you need to contact a sales member or customer support representative, you can reach the company by text message or phone.
May 2020: Podium is now offering a cost-free version of its platform, Podium Starter. Qualifying businesses can use the free platform to remotely connect with website visitors, communicate with customers, receive customer feedback and collect online payments.
How Do You Choose a Reputation Management Company?
Reputation management companies can provide a variety of services for businesses and individuals, including search engine optimization (SEO), content development, social media creation and monitoring, review acquisition and management, and third-party website monitoring. However, your reputation is unique, and your reputation management strategy should be too.
When determining which online reputation management service to choose for your business or individual reputation, you will need to factor in things like budget, features and 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? What are the platforms you would like to be managed? For example, maybe your business website needs revamping, your social media needs enhancing, or your company needs more reviews.
You will also want to look for a company that can work within your anticipated timeframe and provide 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 support you will need should factor into your decision.
Once you list all the factors of what you want an online reputation management company to accomplish for you, seek out trustworthy companies that specialize in those areas. To learn more details about how to choose an online reputation management service, check out our buying guide.
Online Reputation Management FAQs
Q: What are online reputation management services?
A: Online reputation management involves creating the best possible online image for your brand. These services work to ensure that positive news and reviews are the first things customers (and potential new leads) see when they search for your business online.
For businesses that have negative information about them online, these services deploy various strategies to push undesirable stories and reviews off the first few pages of search results.
For businesses with a positive online image, online reputation management services monitor the web to ensure the reputation stays positive and that when anything negative pops up, the business can respond immediately.
Online reputation management can also include a crisis response if a major incident occurs as well as review management to ensure your online reviews are positive.
Q: Who needs reputation management services?
A: In short, everyone. Whether your online reputation is good, bad, or nonexistent, chances are, your business can benefit from hiring a reputation management service. However, the difference lies in what management strategies these services can deploy that can benefit your company the most.
For example, companies that already have a positive online reputation can benefit from maintenance strategies like review management and website monitoring. Those with poor online reputations may require more advanced strategies to minimize bad search results and highlight positive business achievements. They can benefit from review and social media management strategies, where reputation services can assist with responding to customer complaints.
Building a brand new online reputation can be difficult; businesses that don't have an established online reputation (or none at all) can benefit greatly from hiring a reputation management service. These services can help you establish your brand and claim authority through techniques such as content creation, social media profile building, search engine optimization, and review acquisition and management.
There are several advantages to partnering with an online reputation management service. Unless you have an experienced in-house team working on your social media presence, content creation, SEO, review acquisition and management, website monitoring, and overall online reputation, your company can benefit from a reputation management service.
Q: What are some online reputation management strategies?
A: There are several strategies that online reputation management services employ to boost a brand's online image, including the following:
-
Search engine optimization: Reputation management companies ensure that your online content is optimized 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.
-
Content creation: These firms create content for you, such as articles, blog posts, wiki sites, press releases and business profiles.
-
Review management: Online reputation management services can monitor your online reviews on sites like Google, Facebook and Yelp. This gives you the chance to quickly respond to negative reviews and promote positive ones. These services can also help with the acquisition of reviews. Some companies focus specifically on these strategies. They provide a platform where you can manage every review-management task from a single location.
-
Social media management: Online reputation management companies can manage all of your social media accounts. This includes setting up profiles on all relevant social channels, deciding what and when to post on those networks, and monitoring them for negative reviews.
- Third-party website monitoring: Online reputation management services can also monitor other sites to see if people are talking about your business. The companies look at review sites like Yelp and Glassdoor, as well as any other websites or blogs where your business is being discussed. This ensures that you always know when people are talking about your business online and what people are saying.
Q: Why do you need online reputation management services?
A: While some people may think that only businesses with poor online reputations need this type of service, all businesses can benefit from some level of online reputation management.
Businesses with negative reputations can use these companies to help repair their image. These companies can employ strategies to reduce or hide negative discourse about the brand. These strategies include creating new, positive content that pushes negative articles farther down in search results. Crisis management strategies can be employed if there's a serious incident that requires immediate attention.
Businesses with positive online reputations can use these services to ensure their image stays that way. It can be valuable to have these services monitor the web for mentions of your brand. Reputation management firms can promote positive news and reviews when they appear online, and if something negative pops up, they can quickly notify you so you can respond and rectify the situation as soon as possible.
Q: How can a negative online reputation hurt you?
A: More than ever, consumers rely on the internet to determine where they shop, what they buy, where they eat and where they spend their money. They conduct research online and read reviews from other consumers to determine the best businesses to use. Knowing the high premium today's shoppers place on what they see online, it is imperative that businesses keep a positive online image. A few bad reviews or negative online articles can do some serious damage.
March 2020: Monitoring your online reputation, especially customer reviews, is more important than ever. According to recent surveys, 70% of consumers check multiple review sites when considering buying from a local business. (The average consumer reads 10 reviews before they feel they can trust a business.) Nearly half of consumers surveyed said they would not use a business that has less than four stars. As a small business owner, it is essential that you actively monitor your company's online reputation to ensure you are meeting the needs of your customers.
You want customers to judge your business for themselves. However, if they see some bad reviews online, there is a good chance they'll turn to a competitor that has a better online image. In the end, you may never get the opportunity to prove those bad reviews wrong, because shoppers won't give you a chance.
Q: How much does online reputation management cost?
A: While some companies have set service plans with a dedicated monthly cost, most services customize pricing for each business, because not all businesses have the same reputation management needs.
Most online reputation management providers conduct an initial analysis to see the strategies your business needs the most. Based on that information, they build a campaign package for your specific needs. The costs can run anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month. It all depends on the type of work that needs to be done. Some of these services require a three-, six- or 12-month contract, while others work on a month-to-month basis.
Q: How long does online reputation management take to work?
A: There is no set time for how long it takes to see results from online reputation management services; it depends on the state of a brand's image and the strategies used. Some businesses may see results within the first month or two, while others may not see the full results for six months to a year. It is important to remember that these services aren't offering a quick fix; they're employing strategies that take time to show results. Businesses that are patient usually reap the rewards of online reputation management services.
Our Methodology
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
From our 50 vendors, we eliminated those that didn't serve small businesses or offer the full scope of online management services we think are beneficial for businesses. We then conducted further research, seeking out online reputation management companies that were transparent about their services and made that information available on their websites. Most importantly, we determined whether the companies specialized in web reputation management services for businesses, individuals or both.
Choosing the Best Services
We narrowed down our initial list to 10 finalists for our best picks: BirdEye, Gadook, Go Fish Digital, Netmark.com, Podium, Reputation.com, Reputation Management Consultants, Reputation Management LLC, SubmitEdge SEO and WebiMax. From there, we conducted more in-depth analysis. We reviewed the services offered, read user comments, reviewed Better Business Bureau ratings and complaints, and tested out services when demos were available. We contacted some of the companies, posing as business owners, to test the companies' customer support and learn more about the services.
Researching Each Service
We looked at the types of strategies the services employed, how transparent they were about the services they offered, whether they used black-hat tactics, the cost and contract length (when that information was available), customer service, online reviews, Better Business Bureau complaints, and whether they served businesses, individuals or both.
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 performed our research by visiting company websites, calling customer service departments, reading other online reviews, and watching demos of the service or software when possible.
Our Full List of Reputation Management Services
Here is a full list of reputation management services and a summary of what each company claims to offer. This alphabetical list also includes our best picks.
1SEO.com – 1SEO.com offers a comprehensive reputation management campaign that includes an analysis of your online reputation before your campaign begins and a full assessment once it's complete. Along with its reputation management services, 1SEO.com offers a wealth of online marketing and SEO services, including SEO consulting and copywriting, social media marketing, web design and development, and infographic services. https://1seo.com
beMarketing – beMarketing serves a variety of industries to help improve online reputations. In addition to specialized reputation management campaigns, beMarketing offers several in-depth marketing solutions, like website design and development, email marketing, search engine optimization and social media marketing. https://bemarketing.com
BirdEye – BirdEye specializes in review acquisition for both small and large businesses. The company serves a variety of industries, including the healthcare, dental, real estate, retail, legal, automotive and hospitality sectors. This company can help businesses that want to generate and monitor reviews, improve their business listings, send out surveys and monitor their social media accounts. https://birdeye.com
BrandYourself – BrandYourself gives you the tools to manage your individual online reputation on your own, with some guidance from the company's experts. It offers other subscriptions that give you varying degrees of control over the service. BrandYourself also provides reputation management for businesses. https://brandyourself.com
Digital 86 – Digital 86 offers online reputation repair and building services. The company specializes in fixing damaged reputations and improving mediocre reputations. The company provides services to individuals, small businesses and large enterprises. http://www.digital86.com
Digital Firefly Marketing – Digital Firefly's reputation management services include extensive analysis and evaluation of your online reputation, 24/7 news monitoring, negative review monitoring, SEO and removal of defaced content. The company also offers social media marketing, content marketing and web services (including design, development and hosting). https://digitalfireflymarketing.com
*Gadook – Gadook is an inexpensive, effective reputation management service with a simple month-to-month commitment. Although it's a low-cost solution, Gadook offers quality service, including brand building, rebranding, brand protection and social media monitoring. With its high level of service and low costs, Gadook earns the title of our best reputation management service for individuals. https://gadook.com
GBX Digital – GBX Digital offers several online marketing and reputation management services, including internet reputation management strategies and services, public relations, image removal, proactive monitoring and personal information removal. https://www.gbxdigital.com
Go Fish Digital – Go Fish Digital can help repair, build and protect your brand online through a series of online reputation management tactics. The company focuses on Google search, Google autocomplete and online reviews, helping to clean up your online reputation and monitor progress. https://gofishdigital.com
Grade.us – This reputation management company is good for professionals, agencies or partners and enterprises. It provides a single "command center" for all of your customer reviews, so you can manage them all in one place. You can automate multichannel review request campaigns, segment positive and negative feedback, and stream your favorite reviews to social media. https://www.grade.us/home
Hibu – Hibu works to boost your online reputation by focusing on two things: your business information listings and your customer reviews and ratings. You have access to a user-friendly dashboard to monitor your listings and reviews, respond to customers and maintain your positive reputation. https://hibu.com
Igniyte – Igniyte is a specialized reputation management company that helps high-net-worth individuals and brands with defamation and libel issues online, customer service through social media, management of online reviews, and removal of content from Google. With legal teams and extensive digital marketing experience, the firm uses PR and content marketing to help ensure that individuals and brands have a positive online presence. https://www.igniyte.co.uk
Insignia SEO – Insignia SEO works to create a customized reputation management strategy for your business. The company analyzes your Google search results and assesses your social media reputation, and then plans management strategies. These strategies include de-emphasizing negative content, creating positive content and pushing positive content to the top of search results. https://insigniaseo.com
Internetzone I – Internetzone I offers three online reputation management packages: Republock Lite, Extreme and Elite. The packages vary in features and pricing. The best option for your business depends on the size, needs and budget of your operation. https://www.internetzonei.com
InternetReputation.com – This agency provides corporate and personal reputation management strategies. It focuses on aspects such as negative news articles and business reviews, online consumer complaints, Glassdoor reviews, court cases, and slander and defamation. https://www.internetreputation.com
LocalEdge – LocalEdge, a division of Hearst Digital Marketing Services, performs a variety of marketing strategies for businesses. It offers reputation management strategies that focus on building online listings across directories and review sites, and monitoring and responding to online reviews. Some of LocalEdge's other services include web design, search engine optimization and email marketing. https://hearstdms.com/localedge
Netmark.com – Netmark's reputation management services allow you to set up brand alerts, promote positive reviews and content to bury negative content, and more. You can get a free quote on the company's website. Netmark's other services include enterprise SEO, pay-per-click management, website development and social media marketing. https://www.netmark.com
NetReputation – NetReputation offers standard online reputation management with features designed to encourage positive reviews from happy customers. The business also tries to push down negative or misleading reviews. https://www.netreputation.com
Outspoken Media – Outspoken Media offers reputation management services that include strategy development and software recommendations so you can find the right tools to manage your online reputation. The company offers several other SEO and internet marketing services. https://outspokenmedia.com
*Podium – Podium is a reputation management company that focuses on review generation and management. It compiles all of your reviews from various sites, like Facebook and Google, into one place. You can also use the platform to condense inboxes, implement web-chat features and more. Thanks to its comprehensive platform and ease of use, Podium has earned the title of our best reputation management service for review management. https://www.podium.com
Repumatic – Repumatic offers full-scale, DIY reputation management software; free reputation monitoring; and transparent concierge services that cost less than $400 per month. The company provides a combination of reputation management and SEO services for brands, along with tips for do-it-yourselfers to regain their positive reputations online. https://www.repumatic.com
Reputation911 – Reputation911 offers reputation management services for both individuals and businesses. It specializes in the suppression and (when possible) removal of negative content. Other features include online brand monitoring and reporting, and crisis management. https://reputation911.com
Reputation Communications – Reputation Communications offers services for businesses and individuals. It has four strategies it can implement depending on your needs. The company uses its ReputationConsult service to guide you through crises and create strategies, ReputationThrive to boost a positive reputation, ReputationReboot to repair a damaged reputation, and ReputationSecure to mitigate potential threats. https://reputation-communications.com
Reputation Management Consultants – This company's reputation management services focus on content creation to push down your negative search results. Services include the creation and promotion of social media and professional profiles, press releases and syndicated articles. https://www.reputationmanagementconsultants.com
Reputation Management Kings – Reputation Management Kings' services include engaging on social networks, and creating communicative blogging sites, media-sharing sites, and business profiles and networks. The company focuses on SEO and positive content creation. http://www.reputationmanagementkings.com
Reputation Management LLC – Reputation Management LLC's process includes analysis of your online reputation, strategic planning, social media management, creation of positive commentary to push down negative content, and web monitoring. https://www.reputationmanagementllc.com/en
Reputation Resolutions – Reputation Resolutions is a reputation management agency for individuals and businesses. It focuses on negative-content removal, review management, reputation monitoring and crisis management. https://reputationresolutions.com
Reputation Rhino – Reputation Rhino covers both businesses and individuals, specializing in SEO and social media marketing. Its online reputation management services include content development, profile optimization and review management. https://www.reputationrhino.com
Reputation X – Reputation X offers comprehensive solutions for the removal and suppression of negative search results, as well as protection and monitoring of your online reputation. The company offers various levels of service and prices depending on your needs. https://www.reputationx.com
Reputation.com – Reputation.com offers comprehensive reputation management services for both protecting your brand from attacks and dealing with a reputation crisis. Although it covers any type of business, it has tailored solutions for various business industries. https://www.reputation.com
SEO Image – SEO Image offers reputation management services for businesses and individuals. Interested clients can get a free quote and analysis on the company's website. SEO Image also offers design services, pay-per-click management and social media services. https://seoimage.com
SEO Inc. – SEO Inc. uses SEO techniques, social media plans and content development to improve and build your brand's online reputation. The company also offers web development, pay-per-click management, social media marketing, mobile optimization services and more. https://www.seoinc.com
SEO Power Solutions – SEO Power Solutions is a digital marketing company that offers creative solutions to help manage your online reputation. The company can help you increase transparency, encourage online endorsements, create a positive reputation and earn your customers' trust. https://www.seopowersolutions.com
SEOP – SEOP's reputation management techniques include microsite creation, social media assets, link building, press releases, syndicated articles and blogs. In addition to reputation management, the company offers digital marketing and web services, ranging from public relations to affiliate marketing. https://www.seop.com
SEOValley – SEOValley's reputation management services cover both businesses and individuals, and they include proactively monitoring your online presence, reducing the presence of negative information and promoting positive content. SEOValley also offers website development, SEO and social media marketing. https://seovalley.com
SubmitEdge SEO – SubmitEdge SEO offers reputation management services to push down negative results from the first page of Google results, using microsites, blogs, RSS feeds and more. The company also offers several other content-writing and SEO services. https://www.submitedgeseo.com
VJG Interactive – VJG Interactive's reputation management services include crisis management and prevention, and brand promotion. The company's other services include web development, link building, local SEO and mobile app development. https://www.vjginteractive.com
*WebiMax – WebiMax offers a full slate of reputation management services, including crisis response, brand preservation and strategic PR. The company's robust services are reasonably priced, making it our best pick for reputation management services for businesses. https://www.webimax.com
Podium
Gadook
WebiMax - Online Reputation Management
Editor's note: Looking for the right online reputation management service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.
