Why reputation in search is sales
Before buying, people google: “company N reviews”. Statistically, 8–9 out of 10 buyers do this, and in expensive niches — almost all. If a scathing three-year-old review sits at the top of search for that query, you lose clients without ever knowing it. SERM (search engine reputation management) is working with what a person sees in search about your brand.
Step 1. Find out what people write about you
- Check Yandex and Google results for the queries: “brand”, “brand reviews”, “brand employee reviews” — in incognito mode.
- Go through the main platforms: Yandex Maps, 2GIS, Otzovik, iRecommend, Zoon, Flamp, industry sites (ProDoctorov, banki.ru, etc.).
- Set up monitoring: free — Google Alerts and social-media search; more seriously — Brand Analytics, IQBuzz.
Compile a map: platform → rating → position in results. This is your work plan.
Step 2. Reply to negativity correctly
The main rule: you’re replying not to the author but to hundreds of future clients who will read the exchange.
- Fast — within a day. Silence reads as “they don’t care”.
- Calmly and specifically. Without bureaucratese like “your inquiry is very important to us” and without counter-accusations.
- Admit it if you’re at fault. “Yes, we messed up, here’s what we did so it won’t happen again” — such a reply adds more trust than ten glowing reviews.
- Take the details to private messages, and bring the result back to the public field: “Got in touch, replaced the item”.
Fake negativity from competitors is a separate story: you reply with facts (“we found no order with these details, please write the number”) and in parallel complain to the platform. Moderators regularly remove reviews with no substance.
Step 3. Grow the positive
Deleting negativity is usually impossible — it can be diluted and pushed down:
- A flow of real reviews. Ask satisfied clients: a link after the deal, a QR at the till, a bonus for a detailed review (a bonus for a review, not for a “positive” one — that matters).
- Fresh positivity sinks old negativity both in the rating and in the “by newest” sort.
Step 4. Occupy the results with your own content
For branded queries the first page should belong to you: your site, map listings, social media, pages on review sites (created by you and filled in), media publications, articles on VC/Habr. Every one of your platforms in the top is one less spot for someone else’s negativity.
What not to do
- Buy batches of fake reviews — platforms detect them, the rating gets zeroed, the story surfaces.
- Sue the author of an honest review — the Streisand effect is guaranteed.
- Reply in a “you’re the fool” style — a screenshot of such a reply travels further than the review.
- Ignore employee reviews on HR sites — clients read those too.
Takeaway
Reputation in search is a manageable thing: monitoring, fast honest replies, a flow of real reviews and your own platforms at the top of branded results. Start simple — type your company name into Yandex in incognito and look at yourself through the client’s eyes. Didn’t like it — we’ll help fix it.
