Reclaim Your Online Presence: 25 Websites to Help Bury Negative Google Results
As a business executive, you know you’re going to be Googled. So mastering your online reputation is crucial for success. Here are 25 outstanding platforms that almost every executive should leverage to showcase expertise, build credibility, and, when necessary, bury negative content in search results.
- LinkedIn: A professional networking powerhouse, LinkedIn is ideal for showcasing achievements and articles, and it ranks very well for executives, especially once it has been promoted using SEO. Connect with industry peers and share valuable content to elevate your executive presence and authority in your field.
- Medium: Publish thought leadership articles and personal insights on Medium to demonstrate expertise and industry knowledge. This platform’s high domain authority ensures your content ranks well in search results. Keep in mind that for blogging-related sites like Medium, it’s important to keep the information fresh. We suggest adding new articles once a month.
- Quora: By providing insightful answers to industry-related questions on Quora, you’ll effectively display your expertise and engage with your target audience. This Q&A platform can significantly bolster your online reputation if your answers are well-regarded and complete.
- Crunchbase: If it doesn’t already exist, create a comprehensive executive profile on Crunchbase to share company information, achievements, and affiliations. A complete profile strengthens your online presence and serves as a credible professional resource that tends to rank quite well in Google. If your Crunchbase profile does exist, improve it.
- YouTube: Use YouTube to share interviews, webinars, and presentations that showcase your communication skills and subject matter/industry expertise. Engaging video content not only shapes a positive online image but also expands your digital reach because Google likes to show video content in search results along with other types of content.
- Vimeo: Like YouTube, Vimeo is an excellent platform for uploading high-quality video content, such as panel discussions or keynote speeches. A well-curated video portfolio highlights your professional expertise and accomplishments.
- About.me: This one is a judgment call. Most executives don’t have an About.me profile. But using it can craft a polished personal branding page, providing a snapshot of your professional achievements and background. This platform helps project a positive and credible online image.
- SlideShare: Share presentations, documents, and infographics on SlideShare to showcase your industry knowledge and communication skills. This platform is perfect for displaying your expertise and engaging with your audience.
- Forbes: Contribute high-quality articles to reputable business publications like Forbes to establish yourself as a thought leader. This association enhances your online reputation and increases search result visibility. It’s not easy becoming a contributor, but once you are accepted, your reach will dramatically improve.
- Entrepreneur: By writing industry-specific articles for Entrepreneur, you’ll showcase your expertise and experience, which promotes a positive online reputation. Contributing to respected platforms enhances your authority and digital reach. Again, you must be accepted by the Editors.
- Inc: Sharing insights and experiences on Inc establishes you as an industry authority. Contributing to this reputable platform enhances your online reputation and increases your credibility in the business world. Businesses can also get a profile for a low annual fee. Companies can apply for the Inc 5000 to get a place on the list.
- Fast Company: Focused on innovation, Fast Company provides a great opportunity to demonstrate your forward-thinking approach and industry acumen. Association with this publication boosts your online reputation and thought leadership presence as it ranks well and casts a halo on your personal brand.
- Business2Community: Share thought leadership articles on Business2Community to boost your online presence and credibility. This platform enables leaders to showcase their expertise and engage with the business community.
- Guest blogging: Contribute to industry-specific blogs or collaborate with influencers to expand your online presence, demonstrate expertise, and cultivate a positive reputation in your field. The key to guest blogging is to find the right industry-related blogs on which to contribute.
- Podcast appearances: Engage in podcast interviews or discussions relevant to your expertise to build credibility and create positive associations. Podcasts increase your digital reach and contribute to a strong online reputation. Try a site like Matchmaker.FM.
- Twitter: Even post-Elon, Twitter performs well in search. Share industry insights, and news, and engage and build your audience on Twitter. A well-curated, active presence helps shape a positive online image and demonstrates thought leadership.
- Facebook: Create a professional public figure page on Facebook to share updates, articles, and achievements. A consistent presence on this platform can contribute to a positive online reputation.
- Instagram: Share visual content related to professional achievements and events on Instagram to humanize your image and strengthen your online presence.
- Pinterest: Use Pinterest to share infographics and visual content related to your field, showcasing your expertise in an engaging, shareable format that boosts your online reputation.
- Reddit: Engage in industry-related discussions and share valuable content on Reddit to build credibility and authority. Actively participating in relevant conversations fosters a positive online image.
- GitHub (for tech executives): Share open-source projects and contribute to the community on GitHub. This platform helps tech executives showcase their technical expertise and commitment to innovation. It ranks well for tech people, but less well for others.
- Dribbble/Behance (for creative executives only): Display design portfolios and creative projects on Dribbble or Behance. These platforms offer creative executives the opportunity to highlight their artistic talents and vision.
- TED Talks: Apply to speak at TEDx events or share TED Talks related to your expertise. Demonstrating thought leadership through speaking engagements enhances your online reputation, increasing visibility and credibility.
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Respond to journalists’ queries and potentially get quoted in articles. By offering expert insights, you’ll expand your digital reach and build a strong online reputation. While this site is not a profile site, and won’t show up in search results, it is a good place to connect with journalists that can get your name out there.
- Wikipedia: We put this one last because few can get a BLP, a Biography of Living Persons, with Wikipedia. For more information on what it takes to pull this off, read this article on Wikipedia notability. If you are notable enough to earn a Wikipedia page, chances are it will rank in the top three results for a search for your name.
Take control of your online reputation and propel your career by leveraging these 25 powerful platforms. Create high-quality, relevant content, and optimize it using SEO techniques to push down negative content and rise above the competition effectively.
About the author
Kent Campbell is the chief strategist for Reputation X, an award-winning reputation management agency based in California. Kent has over 15 years of experience with SEO reputation management, Wikipedia editing, review management, and strategy. Kent has helped celebrities, leaders, executives, and marketing professionals improve the way they are seen online. Kent writes about reputation, SEO, Wikipedia, and PR-related topics, and is an expert witness for reputation-related legal matters. You can find Kent’s biography here.
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