What is SERM? A Complete Guide to Online Reputation Management

In the age of digital technology, where data spreads rapidly, online reputation plays a crucial role for any business. It can be the key to success or the reason for failure.

Modern consumers thoroughly research opinions and data online before making a purchase. If critical comments or scandals dominate the search results, it can severely undermine trust. Therefore, marketers are increasingly resorting to Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) to influence what users see.

The Importance of Online Reputation

Imagine a potential customer searching for your products or services online. The first 5–10 results shape their impression of the brand in seconds. 

What will they see? Positive feedback from satisfied customers, successful cases, and expert recommendations? Or will their attention be immediately drawn to dissatisfied comments, scandalous articles in the media, and numerous complaints on forums?

Research shows that 93% of people study a product before making a purchase, and 68% form their opinion about a company after reading 1–6 reviews. When angry feedback predominates the top results, even the highest quality product can lose up to 70% of potential customers who go to competitors.

A company's reputation online today is not just a business card but the foundation of trust and long-term relationships. In the offline environment, a dissatisfied customer can be calmed with a personal conversation or compensation. But online, every complaint remains visible. One thoughtless comment or commissioned negativity can deter potential consumers for years.

That is why today businesses actively invest in managing their online image. In conditions where 81% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and competition is growing, maintaining a clean digital image has become essential for survival in the market.

What is SERM? A Detailed Breakdown

Simplistically, SERM is a systematic process of controlling and adjusting the data about a brand that people see on Google, Yandex, and other systems. Its goal is to create a positive impression, push negative content out of the top positions, and strengthen trust in the brand.

Key elements:

1. Reviews on aggregator platforms
   Monitoring and managing on platforms such as Yandex.Maps, Google Maps, Flamp, Otzovik, Irecommend, and others. It is important not only to respond to opinions but also to encourage others to leave honest positive ratings.

2. Spreading positivity in the media and blogs
   Publishing studies, interviews, cases, and press releases in authoritative sources. This helps to form the information background and eliminate unwanted data.

3. Creating and SEO-optimizing content that displaces discontent
   Posting positive materials and promoting them to the top positions helps to reduce the level of disapproval of the company.

4. Professional response to threats
   Competent and constructive responses demonstrate customer orientation and reduce reputational risks. In some cases, it is possible to delete or refute false messages.

5. Analytics
   Continuous analysis allows for timely identification of threats and adjustment of strategy.

This is not just "sweeping problems under the rug," but an activity aimed at creating a sustainable positive brand image in the digital environment.

How does SERM differ from ORM?

Reputation management is an important part of marketing and PR. There are two key approaches in this area—Online Reputation Management and Search Engine Reputation Management. Although they overlap, they have different goals, methods, and areas of responsibility.

Online Reputation Management

ORM is a comprehensive process of monitoring, analyzing, and shaping the image of a business or individual across all digital channels.

Main tasks of ORM:  

• Tracking mentions on social media, blogs, forums, and in the media.

• Managing feedback: responding to criticism, neutralizing false information, negotiating with authors.

• Spreading positive content.

• Managing crisis situations.

Example:
If a person writes an angry post on Twitter or leaves a nasty comment in a Telegram chat—that falls under ORM's responsibility.

Search Engine Reputation Management

What is SERM in marketing?  It is a specialized part of ORM that focuses exclusively on search engine results (Google, Yandex).

Main tasks:  

• Controlling results for key queries (e.g., "Company Name + reviews").

• Displacing competitor pages through SEO.

• Creating and promoting data for loyalty.

• Interacting with review platforms (Otzovik, Yandex.Maps).
  

Example:
When a person searches for "Company X reviews" on Google and an unwanted opinion from a forum appears on the first page, specialists will work to push that opinion down.

What is the purpose of SERM?

Regulating the brand image is an effective way to control the information field around the company. In a competitive environment and with changing consumer habits, this method becomes crucial for successful business operations.

1. Increasing Authority

Modern consumers decide whether to purchase something 90% of the time based on online reviews. If a person sees positive ratings, case studies, reviews, and mentions in the top of Google or Yandex, they automatically become favorable.

Impressions are formed in seconds, and they often depend on the first 5-10 results. Therefore, it is important to shape the desired image, which directly influences loyalty.

2. Reducing the Impact of Negative Aspects

Even the best sometimes receive remarks or criticism. The problem is not their existence, but their visibility.

If negative feedback predominates in the results, it may scare off potential buyers. It is necessary to displace negative information from the top, replacing it with controlled content.

3. Improving Conversion and Increasing Sales

If pages with information about advantages prevail, then CTR (click-through rate) increases, conversion to applications/purchases grows, as potential customers feel more confident.

4. Protection Against Black PR and Competitive Attacks

In business, there are situations where competitors publish defamatory materials, post commissioned articles, or spread lies. Such things can cause serious damage to a company's position and lead to a loss of consumers. 

With SERM, a company can:

• Quickly neutralize fakes with refutations;

• Secure official statements, expert opinions, and real views at the top;

• Block the spread of false messages.

What Tools are Used?

In this section, we will discuss the main and most commonly used tools of SERM. 

1. SEO Optimization of Loyalty-Driven Materials

In order to shape an image, it is important to promote useful content: personal stories, case studies, interviews, and expert publications. The higher they rank, the more likely users will see this first, rather than unpleasant comments or criticism.

2. Handling Feedback

• Public responses and reactions, demonstrating a willingness to solve problems, enhance trust.

• Stimulating high ratings. People are more likely to share experiences if the process is encouraged.

• A motivation system—loyalty programs, bonuses for honest reviews help increase the share of high ratings.

 3. Creating and Distributing Data 

• Corporate blog—publications about products, successes, and expert confirmations underscore expertise and quality.

• Guest articles in the media—collaboration with authoritative publications enhances respect.

• Interviews and case studies—real stories work better than advertisements.

4. Developing Accounts on Video Hosting Platforms

Videos appear in search engines. Actively maintaining social media and properly SEO-optimizing multimedia content increases brand visibility and pushes negative feedback down.

Stages of Work 

1. Audit

Analyze which materials appear on Google and Yandex for key queries. This helps:

• Assess the current image in search.

• Identify queries related to unnecessary pages.

• Identify the sources of problems.
  
  

2. Identifying Problem Areas

Fix all criticisms, publications, and mentions. Categorize them into:

• Fakes (can be disputed or deleted).

• Real complaints (require attention and public response).

• Competitor attacks (need countermeasures).
  
  

3. Creating and Promoting Positive Content

Develop a strategy to push threats off the main page:

• SEO-optimized articles.

• Video content.

• Guest publications in authoritative media.

• Social networks and blogs, regular posts that are useful for readers.
  
  

4. Dealing with Negativity

• Public responses, polite and constructive reactions to criticism.

• Negotiations, contact with authors (possible corrections or deletions).

• Legal measures if laws are violated (defamation, fakes).

• Pushing down in search, promoting positivity above negativity.
  
  

5. Monitoring and Adjustment

• Regularly checking search results (once every 1–2 weeks).

• Analyzing effectiveness—what worked and what needs improvement.

• Flexibility of strategy and prompt response to new issues.

It is essential to understand that this is not a one-time action but a continuous process aimed at controlling the organization's image online.

Main Challenges 

1. Time Investment

Problem: SERM is a long-term strategy. Positive content does not immediately displace negative content from the pages.

Solution:

• Gradually increasing SEO-optimized materials.

• Using paid promotion (contextual advertising) to speed up results.

• Regular ranking analytics.

2. Necessity of Expertise

Problem: Effective SERM requires knowledge in SEO, PR, content marketing, and analytics.

Solution:

• Engaging specialists (SEO optimizers, copywriters, PR managers).

• Training employees or outsourcing tasks.

• Using monitoring tools.

3. Flexibility and Adaptation

Problem: Search engine algorithms change, and new negative mentions can appear suddenly.

Solution:

• Flexibility of strategy and quick response to negativity.

• Constant analysis of trends in SEO and PR.

• Setting up notifications for new mentions.

4. Criticism Will Always Exist

Problem: Not every bad rating can be deleted, especially if it is a real complaint from a customer.

Solution:

• Turning negatives into positives: a public response with apologies and an offer of compensation demonstrates customer orientation.

• Creating contrasting content: if a review remains, we form the desired information background around it.

• Engaging "brand advocates": encouraging honest positive mentions for balance.

Conclusion

We have examined what SERM is and identified that it is not a one-time "cleaning" but a continuous process of shaping a digital footprint. In an era when 90% of consumers research information before making a purchase, creating the right image in search engines becomes a key competitive advantage.

To create and maintain a favorable impression of the company, a comprehensive approach is necessary:

• Regular content updates—publishing useful articles, eliminating outdated information.

• Working with reviews—monitoring, responding to complaints, encouraging honest feedback.

• Managing the media space—interacting with the media, bloggers, and aggregator platforms.

Investments in online reputation directly affect profits. Customer loyalty increases conversion and engagement. The more effectively you control your digital image, the greater the business's resilience in a competitive environment.