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Steps to Managing Your Online Reputation
The Sprocket Report
This article has been updated on 3/30/2021 with the article entitled “Your First Steps for Citation, Directory, and Review Sites.”
You have an online reputation whether you want it or not so you might as well manage it to benefit your business. While not a particularly difficult job, it can be time-consuming. Which explains why so many small businesses never get around to it. Here is a checklist that can help you get the job done.
Your own website is the one place where you control everything about your marketing message, but it is worth your while to use third party citation sites to help guide visitors there. You will be charged for upgraded accounts, but the free ones offer a decent amount of information and personalization. Since the point of these citation sites is to give visitors lots of options, they encourage you to maximize your listing.
There are literally hundreds of third party citation sites where your business could be or is already listed but start with those most important to your online reputation. Our team usually starts with:
- Google Places for Business
- Bing Business Portal
- Yahoo Local
- Yelp
- FourSquare
- Patch
- The chambers of commerce you belong to
- The industry associations you belong to
- Specialized directory sites like www.findlaw.com or www.restaurants.com
Some sites let you open an account immediately with an email or phone verification but others send snailmail which can take a few weeks. Keep a spreadsheet or you’ll lose track of what’s happening.
You’ll also find it helpful if you keep notes for filling out the directory listings so you aren’t re-inventing the wheel every time. Most listings ask for:
- Exact name of your business (Be consistent.)
- Phone number of business
- Address of business (Some use "area of service" instead of a street address.)
- Contact name (It doesn’t have to be the owner.)
- Contact email
- Short description of business under 200 characters
- List of products and/or services
- Business category
- Logo (some only allow square logos, so have a version that looks good in a square.)
- Photos of your business, products, employees, etc.
Now you’re ready to methodically claim and update your listings. Having good and accurate information all over the internet helps folks find your website where you completely control your marketing message, so if you simply don’t have the time to do this, contact us and let our Digital Marketing team do it for you. We’re always happy to help
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Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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