Online reputation is like a credit report everyone can see. Whether you are a movie star or an investment banker, your online reputation determines how others perceive you. Everybody can (and should!) manage their online reputation to make sure that it is the most accurate representation of themselves.

It takes hard work to snag a spot on the first page of Google search results. There are many aspects to consider, such as creating relevant content, incorporating relevant keywords and links, and crafting an enticing search result that makes people want to click on it. But before you can craft content that excels, you need to understand how it might be displayed. 

Just because you write something doesn't mean it will rank well or be visible in search results. How an article is structured can make all the difference. This article outlines how to write an article both people and search engines will appreciate.

1. Publish on the right website
2. Choose the right title
3. Technical and psychological/clickbait headlines
4. The Description gets people to click
5. The first paragraph is important
6. Page length advice
7. Bullets and numbered lists (like this one)
8. How rich media increases dwell-time

Reputation capital is the value of the intangible assets of a business. Anything from reviews to brand identity can build reputation capital, and it can essentially be summarized in one word: trust. How much do people trust your business? The more trust there is in your business, the greater its reputation capital.

It's crucial for any brand to be perceived as reputable. But what makes an online brand reputable in todays online environment? This is an excellent foundation because it guides you through the beginning phases of branding. This is important, because without a healthy brand image, customers are more likely to flee from your brand to that of a competitor. 

If you're here, you probably know exactly why reputation's such a big deal in 2019. You want you or your company to have access to the best opportunities, and a bad reputation can hinder that. A great reputation will open doors to fantastic opportunities and (if you're a business) unhindered access to your ideal client base. Here are just a few other benefits of a good reputation:

• More business opportunities
• A better selection of prospective employees
• Higher company value
• Lower marketing costs

People want to make the best choice, and they base their selection on the person or company that seems to be superior. Whether applying for a job or attracting business opportunities, a good reputation affects your bottom line.

Why does it take six months for a website to rank? We get asked this quite a bit. For the most part, it's because there is a lag time of between 10 and 20 weeks before listings start to improve in search results. The exception to the rule is viral content—if users signal content is of superior value, and they do so quickly, search listings can improve in hours. Unfortunately, not every piece of content is going to go viral. Spammy, low-quality SEO can have a quick effect, but it tends to rapidly off again and will more often than not make things worse.

Some PR agencies specialize in destruction rather than enhancement of reputation.

Some of these agencies work for governments or political parties, others are private contractors, all have a similar agenda: Lay false trails, generate fake news, and use social media to weaken or decimate rivals by manipulating public opinion for nefarious purpose.

It isn't just fringe groups, but the apparatus of large governmental institutions like the National Security Administration (NSA) and the UK's Joint Threats Intelligence Group. It's even said that the NSA has apparently used negative online reputation management to discredit some peoples search results as was revealed in the "Disruption: Operational Playbook".

An online reputation management (ORM) firm isn't a public relations firm. PR firms tend to be more relationship-based, whereas ORM firms tend to be more technical and content-oriented. The best online reputation agencies use PR firms as a go-between with publishers while they work their magic behind the scenes. ORM firms also tend to operate in stealth mode, often quietly supporting PR campaigns in the background.

Reputation management and public relations (PR) are often confused. Although the two share similarities and may be used in conjunction with one another, PR is more forward facing and visible to members of the public. Online reputation management (ORM) services often occur behind the scenes and are not as obvious to casual observers. Think of reputation agencies as the "man behind the curtain."

While reading the new book by Cyrus Farivar entitled Habeas Data we began to think about what an honest privacy policy might look like. Then things quickly got out of hand. Enjoy.