SEO can 'help get rid of bad press'

30th January 2008

Search engine optimisation (SEO) can counteract negative press about a firm or a brand, an expert has claimed.

On his Search Engine Watch blog, William Leake, chief executive of Apogee Search, explained that no matter how long a product has been given positive media coverage, a single negative event can "stain" its image in a second.

But by creating positive press about a product or company and optimising the related keywords, websites will be given a ranking boost by search engines, he advised.

He also recommended building links to optimise a brand or firm, stating that constantly refreshing such relationships and ensuring they are updated is essential.

"SEO has a pivotal role in reputation management, as it can remove negatives and enhance positives on the first page of results, which is usually the only page that matters," Mr Leake claimed.

According to the expert, if negative results about a firm can be quickly optimised to appear at the top of search pages, positive results can be created just as fast.

Firms, celebrities and brands will all be concentrating on their online reputation this year, according to predictions by Kent Lewis, owner of search engine marketing agency Anvil Media.