Marketing and reputation go hand in hand. One drives attention. The other drives trust. And in 2025, you need both to win.

No matter how good your ads are, people will Google you before they buy, book, or call. If they see bad reviews, old articles, or unflattering search results, they’ll bounce. That’s why smart marketers treat reputation like part of the strategy — not an afterthought.

Let’s break down how online reputation shapes marketing and how you can use that connection to your advantage.

Why Reputation Impacts Every Campaign

You can’t out-market a bad reputation. It follows you everywhere — search, social, and inboxes.

According to a 2023 BrightLocal study, 98% of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business. For B2B, 76% of decision-makers say they’ve backed out of deals because of something they found online.

That means no matter how good your copy, creative, or SEO is, bad press or negative search results can crush conversions. You’ve got to fix both.

One agency founder told us, “We ran an amazing Google Ads campaign for a client. CTR was high. But conversions stayed flat. Turns out, the top search result for their brand was a negative blog post from five years ago.”

That’s reputation working against your marketing.

Search Is the First Impression

People don’t just click your ad. They check your brand name. That means your Google search results are part of your marketing funnel.

Page one of Google is basically your second homepage. If it’s full of helpful links, strong reviews, and current press, you’ve got momentum. If it’s full of outdated junk or complaints, people get nervous.

What to Check:

• What comes up when you search your name or brand?
  
• Are reviews recent and positive?
  
• Are there old press pieces or posts you’d rather people not see?
  
• Do your own social or blog posts rank well?
  

Marketers should audit search results like they audit ad performance. Monthly checks. Screenshots. Adjustments.

If there’s something serious to fix — like trying to remove mugshots or clean up outdated court records — there are services that handle that. It’s not something you should try alone.

Reviews Are Free Marketing (or Damage)

Good reviews boost your brand. Bad ones do the opposite.

Marketers often forget that reviews are content. They get indexed. They get read. They show up in local search. That makes them a major part of how people experience your brand.

The best marketers don’t just respond to reviews. They ask for them. They include review links in emails. They automate follow-ups after purchases.

A SaaS founder said, “Every time we close a ticket, our support team sends a quick note asking for a review. Not everyone does it, but the ones who do keep us ahead of competitors on G2 and Google.”

It’s not complicated — just part of the routine.

Tip: Never ignore negative reviews. Respond fast, stay calm, and offer a next step. Even if the issue can’t be fixed, your response shows you care.

Content and Reputation Work Together

Marketing teams spend time making blogs, social posts, and landing pages. That content can do double duty — if it ranks well, it pushes bad stuff out of the way.

If something negative is ranking high (like an old news article or forum thread), build content that uses your brand name or product terms. Publish it on high-authority sites. Share it often. Link to it from your home page or media page.

Over time, Google will prioritize the fresher content. It’s not instant, but it works.

This also applies to reputation fixes. If you’re working to remove private images or sensitive content, having strong, branded content helps fill that search gap once the issue is gone.

Social Media Is Part of Your Search Profile

People don’t just Google you. They check your Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

That means your marketing team should treat social as part of reputation. Use consistent branding, post often, and don’t leave old, messy content hanging around.

Audit your pages every few months. Delete dead links. Update bios. Remove photos that no longer match your brand.

One startup CEO said, “We cleaned up our Instagram, deleted some early-day memes, and added highlights with customer wins. The change was huge. Partners took us more seriously overnight.”

The same goes for employee accounts if they’re tied to the brand. Make sure what they post adds value — not confusion.

PR Without Reputation Is Risky

Public relations can raise awareness fast. But if you have reputation issues online, a PR push can backfire.

Imagine landing a big media hit, only for readers to Google your name and find bad news. Now you’ve boosted traffic to something you were trying to bury.

Always do a reputation sweep before a PR campaign. If something negative shows up on page one, fix that first. Or time your campaigns to help push it down with fresh press.

This is also the time to double-check old articles, Reddit threads, and outdated staff bios. Make sure everything still lines up with your brand and messaging. If you spot something risky, update it or remove it before the spotlight hits. Good PR should lift your story, not amplify past problems.

Marketing Agencies Should Offer Reputation Help

If you’re an agency, reputation should be part of your services. Not everyone needs full-blown removal work, but every client benefits from a clean online profile.

Offer:

• Reputation audits
  
• Review generation
  
• Search result monitoring
  
• Basic content suppression
  
• Recommendations for deeper issues
  

Clients trust you with their growth. Helping them protect their brand is part of that.

Marketing drives attention. Reputation decides what happens next.

You can have the best campaign in the world, but if your online image doesn’t back it up, it falls flat.

Treat your reputation like part of your toolkit. Track reviews. Clean up search. Respond with purpose. And when needed, bring in the pros to handle the heavy lifting.

Because the truth is simple — what people find online is your brand. Make sure it tells the right story.