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The traditional method of reputation management was to create new, positive content to drown out negative information about the company and push it back in the search results. Either that or the company’s lawyer has contacted the webmasters to remove the offending content. But these days pass quickly. Learn about Search Generative Experience (SGE), the integration of Google’s artificial intelligence with search results. It was rolled out gradually in 2023 and will soon turn the world of reputation management upside down.

SGE results are designed to help you make better decisions faster. This means providing deeper context and more balanced information (good and bad) and placing it at the top of the page before organic results (organic or unsponsored results based solely on relevancy). As the fundamental principles of reputation management change, brands must fundamentally change the way they manage their online presence.

Related: Why investing in reputation management is critical to your business strategy

Change at SGE: Adopting an Experience-Based Approach

Compared to “old” Google, SGE’s results are based more on third-party references than on the company’s website. As SGE strives to highlight more diverse perspectives and sources, it is more likely to present both positive and negative perspectives on the brand. So long gone are the days when you could bury bad news by flooding your search engine results pages (SERPs) with better headlines.

In this new landscape, reputation management must focus on resolving user complaints – not just at the surface level. Responding to criticism is a start, but SGE encourages companies to continually listen to user needs and, as a result, make efforts to develop and improve. With CX now more important than ever before in reputation management, meeting these expectations requires a three-pronged effort that starts and ends with the user in mind.

1. Be responsible to your users

Google’s complex algorithm still strives to meet user needs, but it now prioritizes content from publishers that do the same. So a user-centric approach will require brands to:

• Before you create articles and web pages, you need to better understand your users’ search intent. Only then will brands be able to answer users’ specific questions comprehensively enough for Google’s LLM managers to assign value to them.
• Understand what customers are saying about brands by listening on social media.
• Build reader trust by offering the most complete and up-to-date information on your company blog and other channels. Verify and clearly attribute sources (especially AI-generated snippets), and conduct regular audits to identify outdated or outdated information.
• Encourage reviews, comments and user-generated content (UGC) on and off your site. This helps user complaints come to the surface (and hopefully be resolved).

Related: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Content for Better Google Rankings

2. Work with trusted third parties

SGE prioritizes information from high-quality sources that align with Google’s EEAT model, which means sources that exemplify experience, expertise, authority and credibility. As third-party voices carry even more weight, brands must partner with credible stores to proactively:

• Ensure consistency in how you express your brand and its values ​​online. This starts with demonstrating authority in your own content, but also includes publishing clear brand initiatives and guidelines, making it easier for third parties to represent your company accurately.
• Prevent misinformation by routinely reviewing company-related content and contacting outlets to correct errors and provide context.
• Limit negative information from third parties by responding quickly (and diplomatically) to critical comments, whether they come from a journalist claiming eco-fraud or a disgruntled user.

Related: How to manage (and monitor) your social media reputation

3. Amplify the diverse voices of your audience

As search evolves, brands don’t have to wait idly to see how public perception of their company changes. To continue to maintain and improve your reputation, focus on user experience Power control by:

• Tailoring content and reach to specific communities, especially underserved ones. This requires a detailed understanding of audience demographics, user preferences and blind spots that a brand can exploit to personalize content and the overall user experience.
• Collaborate and partner with diverse groups of voices. Avoid simply using influencers and thought leaders for promotion, and instead build relationships based on shared values ​​and mutual respect.
• Experimenting with new tools to improve UX, such as offering interactive content and real-time personalization. Use data analytics and machine learning to deliver content that best meets each user’s current needs. As third-party cookies are phased out, personalization faces new challenges, but emerging technologies also bring new opportunities.

Implementing SGE principles into practice

While the deeper causes of customer complaints will now come to light more easily, your newsroom shouldn’t be the first to respond to reputational challenges. Consider a hypothetical case study of an online retailer on the strategies that are likely to have the greatest impact on the SGE landscape:

• Increasing consumer confidence: When customers complain about inaccurate product sizing and descriptions, the brand responds by creating size guides, fit quizzes, and virtual fitting rooms.
• Responding to customer concerns:Delivery delays and high shipping costs frustrate customers. That’s why the brand increases communication about waiting times and offers transparent price lists. Moreover, they integrate a third-party app to keep customers informed about their order status.
• Strengthening shared values: Journalists report on unsustainable production practices in the retail industry. In response, the company is beginning to publish quarterly reports on its ESG commitments and sharing statistics and stories on social media to improve transparency.
• Proactively shape the customer experience: lack of response from customer service representatives and fuel dissatisfaction due to slow order processing. The brand provides social media listening and sentiment analysis tools to act on real-time data. They also enable their team to propose quick and specific solutions.

As SGE becomes deeply integrated into search processes, reputation management is now an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time solution. Stay connected with your audience, listen to their concerns, and proactively address issues when they arise. Don’t spread or hide negative information. Instead, take responsibility and demonstrate your commitment to improvement. For brands with the right mindset, SGE is not a threat, but an opportunity to create better products, services and experiences that resonate with audiences.