Regular post online content it's a fantastic way to ensure your business gets traffic and generates leads. However, when this content paints a poor picture of your company, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

We live in a digital age where your online reputation can make or break your business. When Google determines that your content is not good enough for the top sites search engine results pages (SERPs), the good news is that all is not lost.

Why you should suppress negative search results

Before we discuss how to do it, let's briefly discuss why a is maintained positive online reputation it is important.

Statistics from Advanced Web Rankings show that more than 30% of users click on the first result, which drops to 2% for the 10th result. Reducing negative Google search results is essential to proper online reputation management.

When search engines rank bad articles, the following can happen:

• Your business will lose its reputation.
• No one will believe you.
• You may miss important opportunities.
• Your company won't generate as many leads.
• Business sales will drop.

Let's look at an example to help you understand this a little better.

Suppose you own a restaurant and a waiter makes a mistake that is caught by a customer and plastered all over the internet in negative reviews. This can reflect poorly on your company's reputation. However, by promoting positive content, it becomes possible to push out bad content.

Connected: How to remove negative online reviews and protect your online reputation

How to boost negative search results

Now that you understand why suppression of negative articles is essential, let's discuss key strategies for personal and professional success.

Focus on positive content

Burying negative search results starts with publishing positive content, such as news articles, blog posts, and more. Use search engine optimization to ensure your new or existing content appears on the first page of the SERPs.

Make sure your content is optimized for relevant keywords and contains engaging content such as videos, infographics, images and more.

Stay patient. It may take time for search engines to rank your new content and reduce negative results.

Make improvements to your website or social media accounts

Another great strategy is to take a close look at your website to see if there is room for improvement. Check that all pages are mobile friendly and have a low loading time.

Check the orientation of menus and other features on your site to make sure they are user-friendly. Update your company information to ensure you are providing potential customers with the information they need.

It is also a good idea to use backlinks on these pages, as Google uses backlinks as a ranking factor. If you have old blog posts that contain outdated information, consider updating them to improve your website's search ranking.

One area where many businesses struggle is dealing with bad reviews. People searching for your brand or product are much less likely to do business with you if they see negative Google search results.

We recommend encouraging existing customers to write positive reviews and recommendations to turn the tide. This will help users understand that although you may have messed up in the past, you've cleaned up your act and your business is ready to provide great service.

These actions can help increase your website's authority and ensure that you get more visibility and attention from search engines.

Here are some tools we use at my SEO company to help with our online reputation management (ORM) strategy:

• Google Analytics
• Backlink controller
• Google Search Console
• Respond to the Public
• Ahrefs
• Semrush

Connected: Here's the SEO combination you need to win Google's algorithm

Explore legal remedies

If someone illegally films your company or posts defamatory content about your business, you can take legal action to remove negative search results. You may seek the assistance of an attorney to file a cease and desist letter or to take action under copyright or infringement laws.

It may even be possible to contact the third-party site owners directly and ask them to remove the content.

Obsidian Financial Group filed a lawsuit against a freelance investigative blogger named Crystal Cox. She wrote numerous negative blog posts criticizing the company and Kevin Padrick, its co-founder, for misconduct and fraud. The corporation received a great deal of bad press as a result of these posts, affecting its reputation. In response, she filed a defamation case and the defamatory posts were removed.

Publish content on high authority sites

As mentioned, backlinks are essential to ensure that search engines see your site as authoritative. To get these links, you can post to high authority domains. If you create content eventually published on these sites, Google and other search engines will also see your website as relevant and authoritative.

Here are some practical examples of sites we've used to help reduce negative content:

• Medium
• LinkedIn
• HuffPost
• Quora
• WikiHow

Address the problem head on

The truth is that we all make mistakes. No one is perfect, so when bad things happen and your company messes up, it's best to address the problem head on. By posting a public apology, you can help regain your lost reputation and work to rebuild it.

Taking ownership shows customers and potential customers that your business is responsible and trustworthy. We also recommend that you discuss the corrective actions you took and show any positive changes you made to prevent the same incident or performance from happening again.

In 2017, United Airlines faced backlash after news that a passenger forcibly removed from a flight went viral. Instead of retracting or ignoring the issue, the company issued a public apology. They also conducted an internal investigation and implemented corrective measures to regain public trust.

Connected: 5 Steps to Get Started with Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM)

Final thoughts

If you are struggling with the effects of harmful content, then the good news is that there is hope. You can recover your company's reputation by exploring the key strategies mentioned above.