We reviewed dozens of online reputation management services in 2018 to find the best ones for businesses and individuals, and to help guide you to the right reputation management companies.
We looked for companies that offered the best online reputation repair, reputation protection and online reputation management. Here is a roundup of our best picks and an explanation of how we chose them.
Ready to choose a reputation management service? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:
- Choosing a Reputation Management Service
- Best Reputation Management Service for Individuals
- Best Reputation Management Service for Businesses
Best Online Reputation Management Service for Businesses: WebiMax
WebiMax is a digital marketing agency that provides a host of online reputation management services. This includes online monitoring, social media monitoring, review and negative comment management, crisis response, brand preservation, positive reputation management, and strategic PR.
After conducting an initial analysis of the brand's online reputation, WebiMax works with each company to develop a specific strategy plan to meet the brand's specific needs. Each client is provided their own dedicated project manager who keeps you informed of the campaign's progress each step of the way.
Pricing for WebiMax's services varies based on the specific strategies your business employs. However, the online reputation management company doesn't require any long-term contracts. WebiMax works on a month-to-month basis, which gives you the flexibility to change strategies at any time.
Besides its reputation management offerings, WebiMax provides a wide range of other digital marketing services, including web design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media marketing, email marketing and e-commerce solutions.
For its breadth of services, no long-term contract approach and top-notch customer service, WebiMax is our choice as the best online reputation management service for businesses. Find out more at webimax.com or read Business News Daily's full review here.
Best Online Reputation Management Service for Individuals: Gadook
Gadook is a full-service inbound marketing and reputation management company. Reputation services are available for both businesses and business leaders, such as company presidents, CEO, founders, etc.
The company provides a range of online reputation management services, including brand building, rebranding, brand protection, social profile optimization and crisis management.
The first step is conducting an analysis of the individual or brand's current online reputation. Based on what is discovered, a specific plan is implemented to either repair a negative online image or boost a positive one. Among the strategies utilized is creating positive SEO-optimized content to push negative content off the first few pages of the search results.
Pricing for Gadook is customized for each business depending on the strategies being utilized. In addition, you're not bound to a long-term contract. (Gadook has a one-month commitment.) Other services Gadook offers include web marketing, web design and development, and project management.
For its reputation management services, its abilities to tailor these services for business leaders and its flexible contract offerings, Gadook is our choice as the best online reputation management service for individuals. Find out more at gadook.com or read Business News Daily's full review here.
Editor's Note: Looking for a reputation management service for your business? If you want information to help you choose the service that's right for you, use the questionnaire below and our sister site, BuyerZone, will provide you with information from vendors for free:
Online Reputation Management FAQs
Q. What are online reputation management services?
A. Online reputation management involves ensuring your brand has the best possible online image. These services work to ensure that positive news and reviews are the first things customers (and potential customers) see when they search for your business online.
For businesses that have negative information about them online, these services deploy a range of strategies designed 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, you are in a position to respond immediately.
Online reputation management can also include crisis response should a major incident occur and review management to ensure your online reviews are positive.
Q. What are some online reputation management strategies?
There are several strategies online reputation management services employ to boost a brand's online image. Among them are:
- Search engine optimization: These companies ensure that your online content is properly optimized for search engines. They ensure it has the right keywords, metadata and headlines to ensure that it is being seen when people search for your business or businesses in your industry.
- Content creation: These firms will create content, such as articles, blog postings or 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. There are some companies that focus specficially on these strategies. They provide a platform where all of these tasks can be managed from one single location.
- Social media management: Online reputation management companies can handle all of your social media management. This includes setting up profiles on all relevant social channels, deciding what and when to post on those outlets and monitoring those networks for any negative reviews.
- Third-party website monitoring: In addition to monitoring your social media pages, online reputation management services monitor other sites to see if your business is being talked about. This can include reviews sites, like Yelp or Glassdoor, as well as any other websites or blogs where your business is being discussed. This ensures that you always know when your business is being talked about online and what people are saying.
Q. Why do you need online reputation management services?
A. While some may think that only businesses with a poor online image need these types of services, in reality, all businesses can benefit from some level of online reputation management.
Businesses with a negative reputation can use these companies to help repair their image. Strategies can be put in place to wipe away much of the negative discourse that can be found about the brand online. This includes creating new, positive content that pushes negative articles further down on the first page of search results. In addition, crisis management strategies can be employed if a serious incident occurs that requires immediate attention.
Businesses with a positive online reputation can use these services to ensure the positive image stays that way. Having someone out there monitoring the web for mentions of your brand can be a very valuable service.
Reputation management firms can promote positive news and reviews when they come 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 generally where they spend their money.
They conduct research online and read reviews from other consumers to determine the best businesses to invest their money in. Research shows that 97 percent of consumers read online reviews to find local businesses.
A Harvard Business School study discovered that a one-star increase in a Yelp rating can boost a business's revenue by up to 9 percent.
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 bad online articles can do some serious damage.
You want customers to judge your business for themselves. However, if they see some bad reviews online, there is a good chance they turn to one of your competitors with 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 to.
Q. How much does online reputation management cost?
A. While there are some companies that have set service plans with a dedicated per-month cost, most services have customized pricing for each business. The reason for this is because not all businesses have the same reputation management needs.
Most online reputation management providers will conduct an initial analysis to see the type of strategies your businesses needs the most. Then, based on that information, they will build a campaign package for your specific needs. The costs can run anywhere from a few hundred dollars per month to several thousand. 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 management services. It all depends on the current state of a brand's image and the strategies being utilized.
Some businesses may see results within the first month or two, while others may not see the full results for six months to one year.
It is important to remember that these types of services aren't offering a quick fix. They are employing strategies that take time to show results. However, businesses that are patient usually reap the rewards with online reputation management services.
Our Methodology
To select the best online reputation management services for businesses and individuals, we started with a pool of nearly 50 vendors that we found online, including those that were reviewed by other websites. From there, we eliminated vendors that didn't serve small businesses or didn't offer the full scope of online management services we thought were 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.
We narrowed down our initial list to 10 finalists for our best picks: Birdeye BrandYourself.com, 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. In addition, for some, we contacted the company posing as business owners to test their customer support and learn more about the service.
In all, we looked at the types of strategies the services employed, whether they served businesses, individuals, or both, how transparent the companies were about the services they offered, how upfront they were about whether they used questionable black-hat tactics, cost (when it was available), contract lengths (when it was available), customer service, online reviews and Better Business Bureau complaints.
Our process involves putting ourselves in the mindset of a small business owner and gathering the data that would be readily available to such an individual. We perform all of our research by visiting company websites, making calls to customer service departments, reading other online reviews and seeing demos of the service or software when possible.
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 clients a comprehensive reputation management campaign that includes an analysis of your online reputation before your campaign begins and a complete assessment once it's completed. 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. 1seo.com
BrandYourself — BrandYourself has a unique model that gives clients the ability to manage their reputations online on their own, with some guidance from the company's experts. It also offers other subscriptions at reasonable prices that give clients varying degrees of control over the service. BrandYourself also offers reputation management for businesses. brandyourself.com
Digital 86 — Digital 86 offers online reputation repair and building services. The company specializes in both fixing damaged reputations and building up reputations with room for improvement. The company provides services to individuals, small businesses and larger enterprises. 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 defaced-content removal. The company offers other SEO services, social media marketing, content marketing and web services (including design, development and hosting). digitalfireflymarketing.com
*Gadook— Gadook is an inexpensive, effective reputation management service with a simple, one-month commitment. Although it's a low-cost solution, Gadook offers quality service, including SEO copywriting, social media monitoring and leveraging of the company's personal press contacts. Between the company's high level of service and low costs, Gadook earned the title as our best reputation management service for individuals. Find out more at gadook.com or read Business News Daily's full review here.
GreyBox Creative — GreyBox Creative boasts reputation management services that are "built from the ground up and are completely customized according to your company's needs." Its services include constant monitoring of search engine algorithms and trends, and GreyBox will help you use positive content to suppress negative search results. GreyBox Creative offers other services, including web design, logo design and social media marketing. greyboxcreative.com
Igniyte – Igniyte is a specialist reputation management company working with high-net-worth individuals and brands to help them with defamation and libel issues online, customer service through social media, managing online reviews, and challenging and removing content from Google. Working with legal teams and with extensive digital marketing experience, the team utilizes PR and content marketing to help individuals and brands have a positive presence online. igniyte.com
Internetzone I – Internetzone I offers three different online reputation management packages: Republock Lite, Extreme and Elite. The packages vary based on features and pricing. The best option for your business depends on the size, needs and budget of your operation. internetzonei.com
LocalEdge — LocalEdge's reputation management services come in two packages: Standard and Advanced. Both offerings include features like review monitoring, email alerts and social-mention monitoring. LocalEdge offers other services, including web design, search engine marketing, and email and text marketing. internetmarketing.localedge.com
Netmark — 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. netmark.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. outspokenmedia.com
Repumatic.com – Repumatic says it offers full-scale, DIY reputation management software; free reputation monitoring; and transparent concierge services costing under $200 per month. The company offers combination reputation management and SEO services for brands, along with tips for do-it-yourselfers to help them regain their positive reputations online. The company's software can be used to instantly launch and manage up to 50 positive branding sites, also giving you the ability to remotely post to social media and WordPress domains. repumatic.com
Reputation911 — Reputation911 offers reputation management services for both individuals and businesses. It specializes in the removal (when possible) and suppression of negative content. Other features include online brand monitoring and reporting, and the creation of optimized online profiles. reputation911.com
Reputation Communications — Reputation Communications offers services for businesses and individuals. It uses a five-step process: protecting your brand from being appropriated or misused by others, addressing incorrect or biased information, deleting your private information from people search databases, ensuring online photos support your professional image, and increasing your brand's prominence online. reputation-communications.com
Reputation Management Consultants — This company's reputation management services focus on content creation to help push your negative search results down. Services include social media and professional profile creation, promotion, and creation of press releases and syndicated articles. 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. reputationmanagementkings.com
Reputation Management LLC — Reputation Management LLC's process includes analysis of your online reputation, strategic planning, requesting removal of defamatory content that can legally be removed, creating positive commentary to push down negative content and monitoring the web for any new posts. reputationmanagementllc.com
Reputation Managers — Reputation Managers' online reputation management services include analyzing the first 10 pages of your search results, promoting positive content, and building online profiles and other content on the Web. reputationmanagers.com
Reputation Rhino — Reputation Rhino covers both businesses and individuals, and it specializes in SEO and social media marketing. Its online reputation management services include content development, profile optimization and review management. reputationrhino.com
Reputation X — The runner-up for our best pick for businesses, Reputation X offers comprehensive solutions for removal and suppression of negative search results as well as protection and monitoring of your online reputation. The company offers varying levels of service depending on your needs, all in different price ranges. 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. The company offers services for individuals as well. reputation.com
SEO Image — SEO Image offers reputation management services for both 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. try.seoimage.com
SEOValley — SEOValley's reputation management services cover both businesses and individuals, and include proactively monitoring your online presence, reducing the presence of negative information and promoting positive content. Other services offered by SEOValley include website development, SEO and social media marketing. seovalley.com
SEO Inc. — SEO Inc. uses SEO techniques, social media plans and content development to help improve and build your brand's online reputation. The company also offers web-development services, pay-per-click management, social media marketing, mobile optimization services and more. seoinc.com
SEOP — SEOP's reputation management techniques include the creation of microsites, social media assets, press releases, syndicated articles and more. In addition to reputation management, the company offers digital marketing and web services, ranging from public relations to affiliate marketing. seop.com
Submitedge SEO — Submitedge SEO offers reputation management services that help push down negative results from the first page of Google using microsites, blogs, RSS feeds and more. The company also offers several other content-writing and SEO services. 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 and mobile-app development. vjginteractive.com
*WebiMax — WebiMax's reputation management offerings include a full slate of services, such as crisis response, brand preservation and strategic PR. WebiMax boasts a reasonable cost for its robust services and a commitment of only one-month, making it our best pick for reputation management services for businesses. Find out more at webimax.com or read Business News Daily's full review here.
WebpageFX — WebpageFX is an internet marketing company that offers services in SEO, social media and design. Its reputation management services cover businesses and individuals, and include comprehensive tracking of online commentary about your brand and promotion of positive content. webpagefx.com
If you'd like your company to be added to this list and possibly considered as a best pick for our next round of reviews, email your request to: b2bconsiderrequest@business.com.
Ready to choose a reputation management service? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:
- Choosing a Reputation Management Service
- Best Reputation Management Service for Individuals
- Best Reputation Management Service for Businesses
Editor's Note: Looking for a reputation management service for your business? If you're looking for information to help you choose the service that's right for you, use the questionnaire below to have our sister site, BuyerZone, provide you with information from vendors for free:
