Yes. And they probably already are.
You could be running ads, building email lists, and posting daily on social. But if someone Googles your brand and sees a bad result, none of that matters. Most people won’t say anything. They’ll just bounce. That’s the part nobody talks about in marketing. Online reputation is the silent filter that decides whether your funnel works.
Here’s how to spot it, fix it, and protect your campaigns from tanking before they even start.
Table of Content
Why Search Results Matter More Than Ever
Everyone checks Google before buying
According to Edelman, 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand before buying from it. And that trust usually starts with a search.
Not a website. Not an ad. A search.
The first page of Google acts like a credibility check. If there’s anything off, outdated, or negative, you lose trust before you even speak to the customer. And that happens fast.
A Semrush study found that over 50% of users click one of the top three results. If one of those is bad, you’re losing half your traffic before the conversation starts.
Marketing can’t fix a reputation problem
You can’t out-ad a bad article. You can’t out-email a bad review. The money you’re spending won’t fix the root issue. This is why performance marketers quietly care about search results. They just don’t talk about it on stage or in webinars. But behind closed doors, they’ll tell you a negative brand result can kill ROI overnight.
What Shows Up in Bad Results?
Old reviews or Reddit threads
Maybe it’s a 2-star review from 2019. Or a Reddit thread that spiraled. Even if it’s outdated or inaccurate, it still sits there. And people believe it.
Third-party review sites
Sites like Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau, Ripoff Report, or Glassdoor often show up high in branded search results. Even one bad review on those can dominate the page for months.
News-style blogs or “scam report” sites
Some of these sites are designed to rank for brand names. They post content with strong headlines like “Is [Company] Legit?” or “[Company] Complaints and Reviews.” Google eats it up. And suddenly, it’s what your customers see first.
YouTube videos
A single YouTube video with a negative title can outrank your homepage if the algorithm thinks it’s relevant. Even if it’s poorly made, it might still show up right at the top.
How Do You Know If It’s Hurting You?
Check your branded search CTR
Look at your Google Search Console or ad platform data. If your branded terms have a low click-through rate, that’s a red flag. You should be getting a high percentage of clicks when people search your name. If you’re not, there’s a trust issue.
Run a Google search in incognito
Search your brand name, your name, and common misspellings. Look at page one. What stands out? Would you click through if you were a customer seeing it for the first time?
Ask recent leads
This one takes guts. Ask a lead or client if they saw anything online that made them hesitate. Some won’t answer honestly, but the ones who do can give insight into what’s breaking your funnel.
What Can You Do About It?
Try to remove what you can
Start with the easy wins. If there’s a review that violates guidelines, flag it. If there’s a site that lists personal info or false claims, send a takedown request. For tougher cases, some businesses use services like Guaranteed Removals, which help get harmful content taken down or suppressed from Google.
It won’t work for everything. But it’s worth trying, especially if the content is clearly abusive or inaccurate.
Build stronger content around your name
Don’t just post more. Be intentional.
Create content that uses your brand name in headlines and metadata. Publish case studies, interviews, podcasts, or features that feel like real stories. Use YouTube, LinkedIn, Medium, or even press releases to push your name higher up the results.
The goal is to flood Google with better content, so it pushes the bad stuff down. This is called suppression. It doesn’t remove the bad result, but it hides it behind better, newer, more relevant pages.
Get featured on trusted sites
Google loves authority. If you can get mentioned on a trusted site like Forbes, Inc., or even a strong local news outlet, it’ll rank high. Pitch real stories. Not promos.
We saw this work for a SaaS founder in Austin. He had a nasty Reddit thread at #2 for his name. He landed a guest interview on a marketing podcast, got quoted in a TechCrunch roundup, and published a feature on his startup’s blog. In six months, the Reddit thread dropped to page two. Now it barely shows up.
Fix your Google Business Profile
This matters more than you think. Google pulls a lot of branded info from your Business Profile. If yours is empty, outdated, or unverified, you’re missing a chance to shape what customers see.
Add recent photos. Reply to reviews. List your services and link your site. It all helps.
What Should You Avoid?
Ignoring the problem
It won’t go away. And the longer you wait, the more clicks you lose. The average person judges a brand in under seven seconds. That’s usually from headlines and first impressions.
Posting spammy blog content
A bunch of keyword-stuffed posts won’t fix anything. Google has caught on. It values authority and relevance. Think quality over quantity.
Letting others control your name
Claim your domain. Lock down your social handles. Create personal or brand pages on major platforms. Don’t let random third parties rank higher than you for your own name.
Final Thoughts
Reputation is a performance metric now. It’s not just PR. It affects conversion, trust, cost per lead, and even customer retention.
If you’re serious about growth, you can’t ignore what shows up when people Google you. Your paid media depends on it. Your funnel depends on it. Your brand depends on it.
Fixing bad results isn’t easy. But it’s doable. And the payoff is huge. Customers will trust you faster. Leads will convert quicker. And every campaign you run will get better results.
So don’t just build ads. Build trust. Start with Google.
