What is online reputation management?
A plain-English guide to what ORM is, how it works and what it should never involve.
Online reputation management (ORM) is the work of assessing, removing, repairing and protecting what people find about a person or organisation online. It covers search results, reviews, news, forums, social platforms and AI assistant answers, and uses legal and platform removal routes, accurate content and monitoring.
Why it matters
People search before they hire, buy, invest, date or appoint. What appears on the first page for a name, and increasingly what an AI assistant says when asked, forms a first impression before any contact is made. A single outdated article, a wave of fake reviews or a forum thread can outweigh years of good work.
The four stages
- AssessFind out exactly what people see, what is driving it, and which routes are open.
- RemoveUse every legitimate legal and platform route to take harmful content down or out of search.
- RepairChange the balance of what ranks by building accurate, authoritative results that deserve to.
- ProtectWatch every surface that matters and respond before a problem becomes a result.
What good reputation management is not
- Buying or writing fake reviews
- Publishing fake news sites or sockpuppet content
- Guaranteeing removal of lawful content
- Threatening critics
Can I do it myself?
Often, yes. Many removal routes are open to anyone. Our removal guides explain them. Specialist help is worth it when the stakes are high, the volume is large, a first request was refused, or a legal route may be needed.
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