The Role of SEO in Bad Publicity
Bad publicity is a game changer among businesses. It can ruin a brand’s reputation and cause substantial damage, especially in the financial aspect. And if you own a small business, you’re at a higher risk of getting slapped with bad PR. But instead of fighting back with negativity, you can use a more powerful tool: SEO.
Search engine optimization may seem like an unfamiliar field for many businesses. But with the help of experts, you can easily hop on the boat and sail past negative publicity. Here’s what you need to know:
Where bad PR occurs
Almost all businesses will receive bad publicity at some point. They only differ in how they deal with it.
Bad PR can be in the form of a scathing customer review, a RipOff report, or a blog post detailing a bad experience about your company. Worse, some of these pages rank higher than your business. With this, the mention of your brand alone is enough to pop the bad PR at the top of search results.
Remember that every bad PR can rank, depending on who is posting the content. And with the sharing power of social media, you simply can’t wait for it to pass on its own.
What you can do about it
Bad publicity is a big headache, but there’s always something that you can do about it. Avoid any negative reactions or retaliation as it will only make the matter worse. Instead, you should employ a positive approach to help salvage your brand.
For example, if an influencer gave your brand a poor review, try offering a re-do of the service. This way, you’re showing that you’re willing to change what has been problematic with your company.
If someone got injured or hospitalized due to your products or services, always offer a helping hand. Pay all the hospital expenses and assist in the person’s recovery. This way, you can rebuild your reputation. It will also prevent your customers from thinking that you’re a neglectful brand.
How SEO saves the day
In this situation, it can be perplexing how search engine optimization can help. SEO is known to drive traffic to a website, but most businesses don’t realize that they can also use it to prevent bad PR from spreading.
Let’s take Target as an example. The brand occupies almost all the top search results when you Google its name. So even if someone is trying to rank a bad PR, it will be buried deep on the search results. This way, you’re preventing other people from seeing the negative content.
Instead of desperately trying to remove the bad publicity, you can outrank it on the search engine. This way, only a few eyes can see it.
Final words
Bad PR is problematic, and every business’ nightmare. It’s a daunting task to transform it into something positive, but you can always do something to prevent the damages to your business. Always approach it with professionalism and positivity. You can also tap the help of an SEO expert to ensure that you can outrank your enemies.
