Get a Bad Online Review? Three Tips to Minimize It on the Internet

The Internet is full of reviews, from the best and worst cars to lawyers to books.  And just as the Internet is full of reviews, it’s also full of all kinds of people and varying tastes.  Some people like Chevys, some like Hondas.  Some people dig romance novels, some only read horror tales.  With all these varying tastes and styles, it’s inevitable products and people get varying reviews, too.

Sometimes even bad reviews.

Tips to Make Search Engines Not So Interested in That Bad Review

Rather than focus on the bad review, you can take steps to make it less interesting to the Internet.  Less interesting to the Internet = lower rankings in browser searches.  We’re talking some simple Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tips here:

• Don’t click on that bad review link.  I know, it’s tough.  You want to.  You’ve seen the “1” ranking and the first few words of the review and you want to know more what that idiot said.  But if you click on that link and open the review, guess what? You’re sending a signal to search engines that people find that review interesting.  You don’t want to do that.
• Oops, I clicked that bad review link!  Okay, click the back button and navigate to one of your stellar reviews.  One of those 5-starred ones where somebody gushed about your product/service/book. Then close your browser.  This sends a signal to search engines that the second review, the better one, had more impact that that almost-insignificant bad one.
• Don’t search that bad review again.  Or search for keywords within that review. If you do the latter, you’re again signaling search engines that those nasty keywords are important to readers.

Steps to Boost Postive Reviews of Your Product/Service/Book on the Internet

These actions can help “push down” any negative reviews:

• Set up different profiles (from a blog to Twitter) and fill them with unique content.
• Ask satisfied clients (or book fans) to post favorable reviews of your product/service/book.
• Do not post a rebuttal to a bad review.  I know, it’s tempting.  But don’t.  This adds relevant content to the bad review, which signals search engines that people find this review interesting, which boosts the ranking of that bad review…you’ve just been your worst enemy.

May the Force of the Internet Be with You, Writing PIs

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