There is a high chance you are not the only person with your name. If your name is Adam Smith, there is a 100% chance there are other people with that name. Bearing the same name is not an issue, but the problem comes when the other person has ab bad online reputation. If someone with a similar name is involved in a scandal or something negative about them goes public, this can affect your online reputation too, considering you share the same name.
A person who resembles another person or shares the same name is known as a doppelganger. Therefore, a reputation doppelganger is a person who causes damage to your online reputation because of their actions. Many users only look at the first page of search results, and once they see something bad about your name, they will have negative opinions about you. This is why hiring companies like DigitalOx Ltd to manage your personal online reputation is vital. There are things you can do to reclaim your good online reputation once it has been tarnished by someone else.
Steps to Retrieve Your Personal Reputation
Reclaiming your name after a bad reputation can be hard, especially if the person is a high profile. However, it is possible. Here are a few steps you should take.
Find a Different Name
This does not mean you should change your name completely. However, if you used to go with a certain name that has a bad reputation, try changing how you want people to search for you. If you were using your nickname, think of using your real name this round. You may also use your nickname if you were using your real name. Try adding your middle name if you did not have it, or start with the middle name followed by the first name. There are many ways you can twist your name to bring different results.
Optimize Your Online Presence
Google ranks relevant content higher than irrelevant ones. Therefore, creating relevant content more than the negative one will ensure you always appear first when people search the name. You can do this by creating a website with your correct details. These details will distinguish you from the doppelganger. Another thing you can do to optimize your online presence is to be active on social media. Create accounts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and make sure you complete your profiles. Add any positive item you may have to distinguish yourself.
Monitor Search Results
Monitoring search engine results are crucial whether you have a doppelganger or not. It helps know where you or your brand stands. Watching search results will ensure you can repair them faster. Remember to also monitor what is going around about you on social media. Sentiment analysis tools can help measure your reputation here.
In conclusion, having a doppelganger can be damaging to your online reputation. A bad individual reputation can hinder you from job opportunities or other chances in life. Luckily, the steps mentioned here can help reclaim your reputation and ensure people are seeing what you want them to see on Google.