Glossary
Glossary
CheatSheet: Online Reputation Glossary
The following terms are used frequently in online reputation management.
Algorithm
The formula search engines use to rank websites and determine whether they merit appearing on page 1 or elsewhere in search results.
Authenticity
The quality of being genuine; a valued quality among bloggers and the larger online community.
Astroturfing
Writing fake comments and reviews.
Branded Content
Content that promotes and cultivates a rapport between a targeted audience and a brand’s products and/or services.
Black Hat SEO
Using unethical methods to attempt to raise the ranking of websites in search engine results.
Content
Information delivered in any medium, whether text, videos, podcasts or images. (When two or more media are juxtaposed it is described as “multimedia content.”)
Content Aggregator
A software or web application which collects, combines and publishes a range of syndicated web content (such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts and video blogs).
Content Farms
Companies which create low-quality Internet content with the goal of having their content rank highly in online searches.
Digital Assets
Online images, multimedia and textual content files.
Domain Squatting (also known as cyber squatting)
Registering or using a domain name with the intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. The cyber squatter then offers to sell the domain to the person or company who owns the trademark contained at an inflated price.
Doxxing
Tracing someone or gathering information about an individual using sources on the Internet, then publishing their private information with malicious intent.
Forum
An online discussion site.
Link
A URL name or description providing an instant connection to a different Web site or section of a Web site. A Web site’s page rank on Google (and other) searches is influenced by the number of links pointing to it (“inbound links”), and the quality of the sites they are linking from.
For more in-depth information, read The Essentials: Online Reputation Management FAQ.
Articles
The Essentials: Online Reputation Management FAQs
Online reputation management (ORM) makes you look your best online. It creates a “digital firewall” to protect your reputation from harmful attacks or misinformation; ensures your public image is accurate, up-to-date and authentic, and is…Read more
An Attorney’s Advice for Removing Negative, Defamatory and Infringing Material from the Internet, by Christine Rafin, Esq.
Christine Rafin, Esq. serves as General Counsel – Media at a360 Media, LLC (formerly American Media, Inc.) and is a former partner in the New York City law firm of Kent, Beatty & Gordon, LLP, specializing…Read more
Digital Reputation Management for CEOs and the C-Suite
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Don Aviv on Deep Reputation Dives
Recently Don Aviv, President of Interfor International and a Reputation Communications Advisory Board member, and Shannon Wilkinson, our founder and CEO, were interviewed on the topic of reputation management for an Interfor Academy webinar. Their…Read more
Avoiding Reputation Damage During a Divorce: An interview with Paige Zandri of Artese Zandri
Since Reputation Communications was established in 2009, we have spoken with countless prospective clients regarding their reputation management concerns, issues and goals. A common theme we have encountered is recovering from reputation damage caused by…Read more
The Reputation Risk of Human Trafficking in Supply Chains
David Niccolini is a Reputation Communications Advisory Board member, and a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of professional experience. His work has spanned over six continents and across dozens of industry verticals, and his…Read moreBlog
Understanding the Internet's Impact on Your Reputation
One of the most frequently asked questions online reputation management (ORM) firms receive is, why is this outdated/irrelevant/negative content showing up in my Google search results? Ultimately, Google’s goal is to provide visitors with the…Read more
The New PR: Online Reputation Management for Attorneys and Their Clients
Reputation management is often called the New PR. Law firms and attorneys must be alert and protect their online reputations. Not surprisingly, clients facing reputational harm online frequently turn to attorneys for guidance. They seek…Read more
Amplifying Your Reputation with Podcasts, Substack & Video
Reputation management goes far beyond rebooting a tarnished online image. In a media-saturated world, there are benefits to actively amplifying our reputations — and our voices. We can all create a strategically curated, impactful public…Read more
Is Your Name Protected Online?
Something that always comes up in our engagements is the widespread availability of our clients’ names on the Internet for anyone to purchase and use. Someone may simply share your name, but they can also…Read more
How Google Helps to Suppress Slander for Victims of Online Attacks
Many people are concerned with the volume of slanderous content about people on the internet…including websites that publish such material and then extort victims to pay to have it removed. In 2021, Google announced plans…Read more