Can You Recover From a Damaged Reputation?

November 15, 2025

This article answers the question, “How do you recover from a damaged reputation?” We discuss taking a proactive approach to repairing search results and doing damage control.

There are many reasons why your company may need online reputation management. You may, for instance, have released a faulty product to the market or broken some environmental protection rules.

Many things can happen that will damage your online reputation the world over, and it may feel like you can never again recover from the fallout.

As a company, your brand equity is your greatest asset, but it’s also the least tangible one. It includes things like positive brand recognition, prestige, and customer loyalty. Companies have to work very hard to earn those things, but it takes just a single fault for them to be destroyed.

If you have lost your brand equity, it may feel like the end of the world. It is also certainly true that if a huge scandal were to hit a small company, it would be almost impossible for it to recover from it. They simply would not have the means to do so.

That being said, huge scandals tend to hit huge companies, whereas smaller companies often have to face smaller scandals. But neither is the end of the world, so long as you know what to do.

In this article, we’ll go over our top tips for recovering from a damaged online reputation.

At Erase Mugshots, we can help you restore the good reputation you took so long to build. Our reputation management firm will get rid of negative results and present your brand in the best light possible. Contact us at 866-601-6803 to speak with an expert. 

Stand Up and Face the Music of Your Bad Reputation

Growing up, if you did something wrong, your parent or teacher may have said, “Face the music!” meaning own up to your mistake in order to move on. This is good advice even in the business world — being able to admit when you’re wrong is the first step toward receiving forgiveness.

When a reputational crisis strikes your brand, your gut reaction may be to disappear and delay the inevitable, hoping that if you ignore it, it’ll improve on its own. Unfortunately, going silent like this will only make the situation worse.

The sooner you can acknowledge what happened, the sooner you’ll be able to get back control of the narrative. Issuing a sincere and factual statement shows that you’re taking accountability. Make sure to include the following in your messaging:

• Clarify what went wrong
• Explain who was affected
• Discuss the steps you’re taking to fix the problem

If the issue is a complex one and it’s going to take your team some time to sort it out, even sending a brief message will acknowledge the problem and show your audience that you’re on top of it. This is what’s needed to restore trust with the public and with your team, stakeholders, customers, etc.

By owning the mistake publicly, you’ll have an easier time moving on to the next stage, too, during which you’ll control how the issue appears to the public and prevent misinformation from going viral.

Change the Narrative to Show You Care

Once you’ve taken responsibility for the situation, it’s time to draw attention away from it. From there, you can direct the focus toward something more positive, like what you’re doing to make it right.

Recovering your online reputation is about much more than getting rid of harmful content. It’s also about demonstrating your brand values through action. For example:

• Taking correcting measures, such as fixing products, policies or safety protocols.
• Sharing transparent updates, including behind-the-scenes improvements and progress reports.
• Supporting the community through donations, outreach programs and partnerships that relate to the issue.

This is also the best time to remove outdated or misleading content from the internet. By removing inaccurate or unnecessary material from search results, including inflammatory posts and old articles, you’ll ensure that past problems don’t overshadow the good your brand is doing now.

Once negative links fade from Google search results, your proactive steps will become even more visible.

Remember, reframing the story isn’t about hiding the past. Instead, it’s about showing your business as it is now — in a position to improve and evolve.

If you need professional online reputation management, don’t hesitate to contact us today. From removing negative search results and using search engine optimization to suppress unflattering content, we have high-level strategies for getting you back on your feet after a reputation crisis. Contact us at 866-601-6803 to learn more.

Speak to Your Customers for a Better Understanding of Your Bad Reputation

One of the best ways to deal with a negative review or other type of fallout is by addressing it head-on and speaking to your customers. Whether the issue stemmed from negative reviews, customer complaints or a public incident, open communication can save your brand from long-term damage.

Ask your customers how you can redeem yourself and your brand’s reputation online and offline. What do they need moving forward?

Inviting them to share their honest feedback via forums, polls, surveys and support channels will make them feel heard. In return, they’ll be more willing to give your brand a second chance. You may even collect some positive feedback during the process, which is excellent for reputation management.

Speaking directly to your audience humanizes your brand. Plus, you’ll reinforce that you value the people who make your business possible in the first place.

Professional Reputation Management Services to Replace Negative Results With Positive Content

Are you in need of reputation management, but you don’t know where to start? Our team will help you find and remove negative content online. By analyzing search engine results, we’re able to find the content that’s having the biggest negative impact on your reputation management efforts and replace it with positive information that will buoy your business.

Speak with our reputation management experts today by calling 866-601-6803 for a free consultation. You don’t have to suffer from a bad reputation or negative stories indefinitely.

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