What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?
What Does “What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?” Talk About?
This episode of the Online Reputation Management Podcast features hosts James Dooley and Karl Hudson diving deep into what separates a world-class ORM agency from the rest. They discuss how the best agencies take a proactive approach—building digital PR campaigns, creating branded content, publishing guest posts, and strengthening entity signals across the web—rather than simply reacting after negative press appears. The conversation covers how these full-spectrum strategies help control the brand narrative across Google search results, social platforms, and AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini.
James and Karl also explore the legal dimension of elite ORM work, explaining how top agencies like FatRank and Searcheroo employ specialist solicitors to pursue the outright deletion of defamatory or slanderous content rather than just suppressing it to page two of search results. They break down how branded anchor text and citation patterns have become critical not just for SEO but for establishing entity trustworthiness in AI models. The episode ultimately frames modern ORM as a form of high-quality branding that benefits hiring, customer acquisition, and long-term digital visibility.
“AI changed everything. Google needs to understand entities clearly: who is real, who is fake, what's trustworthy. When it recognizes an entity, trust increases.”
— Karl Hudson
Who Are the Guests on “What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?”?
James Dooley is a prominent figure in the SEO and digital marketing space, known for his work with agencies including FatRank. He brings deep expertise in link building, brand authority, and online reputation management, and uses this episode to outline the strategic and legal frameworks that define elite ORM practice. James is particularly focused on how proactive reputation strategies intersect with modern search engine behavior and AI-driven results.
Karl Hudson is an ORM and digital PR specialist associated with Searcheroo, an agency focused on positive-sentiment content, power posts, and digital PR campaigns. Karl speaks with authority on entity reinforcement, branded content strategies, and how AI systems have fundamentally changed the way brands must approach their online presence. Together, the two hosts offer complementary perspectives covering both suppression and proactive brand-building sides of ORM.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- The best ORM agencies are proactive rather than reactive, building digital PR, branded content, and guest posts before negative press ever appears.
- Elite ORM firms use a full-spectrum content approach including images, news articles, Web 2.0s, social assets, and tiered content to control the brand narrative across every possible channel.
- Top agencies differentiate themselves by employing specialist solicitors who can pursue the legal deletion of defamatory or slanderous content rather than simply pushing it down in search results.
- Branded anchor text and citation patterns are now safer and more strategically valuable than keyword-rich anchors, as they help establish entity trust with both Google and AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT.
- ORM is effectively modern branding, and a strong brand entity signal benefits companies in hiring, customer decision-making, and AI-generated summaries simultaneously.
“Companies should use digital PR, build high-quality branded and authoritative links, and strengthen their brand because AI now heavily depends on brand presence. To show up in AI summaries, you need guest posts, PR articles, social posts—everything working together.”
— Karl Hudson
Is “What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?” Worth Listening To?
This episode is worth listening to for anyone who wants a clear, practical breakdown of what genuinely effective online reputation management looks like in 2024 and beyond. James Dooley and Karl Hudson avoid vague generalities and instead point to specific tactics—legal takedown processes, tiered content strategies, entity reinforcement, and branded link building—giving listeners a real sense of what separates amateur ORM efforts from professional agency work. The discussion of how AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT now rely on entity recognition to determine trustworthiness is particularly timely and relevant.
The episode also stands out because it covers both ends of the ORM spectrum: reactive work like suppression and legal deletion through agencies like FatRank, and proactive brand-building through digital PR and positive-sentiment content via Searcheroo. This dual perspective gives listeners a complete picture of the discipline rather than a one-sided view. Whether you are a business owner dealing with damaging press or a marketer building a brand from scratch, the frameworks discussed here offer actionable direction.
Who Should Listen to “What Should The Best Online Reputation Management Agency Be Doing?”?
This episode is ideal for:
- Business owners and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to protect and grow their brand's online reputation proactively
- Marketing professionals and SEO practitioners looking to expand their knowledge of entity-based strategies and branded link building
- PR and communications professionals seeking to understand how digital PR intersects with search engine optimization and AI visibility
- Agency owners or freelancers considering adding ORM services to their offerings and wanting to understand what best-in-class delivery looks like
Where Can You Listen to Online Reputation Management Podcast?
You can listen to Online Reputation Management Podcast on all major podcast platforms:
- Apple Podcasts – Search for “Online Reputation Management Podcast” in the Podcasts app
- Spotify – Available on Spotify for free
- Amazon Music / Audible – Listen through your Amazon account
- Overcast – For iOS users who prefer a dedicated podcast app
- Pocket Casts – Cross-platform podcast player
You can also subscribe using the RSS feed: https://feeds.transistor.fm/online-reputation-management-podcast
What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“Really appreciated the breakdown of how legal deletion differs from suppression—that distinction isn't talked about enough in the ORM space. James explaining how agencies like FatRank use solicitors with actual templates for defamatory content removal was genuinely eye-opening. One of the most practical episodes I've heard on this topic.”
“Karl's explanation of why branded anchors are now safer than keyword-rich ones finally clicked for me after hearing it in the context of AI entity recognition. The connection between ORM strategy and showing up in ChatGPT or Gemini summaries is something every marketer needs to understand right now.”
“Short but packed with value. The point about ORM being modern branding rather than just damage control reframed how I think about my own company's online presence. I went and looked up both FatRank and Searcheroo after listening—great episode for anyone trying to figure out what the best agencies are actually doing differently.”
They explore how proactive reputation building—through digital PR, branded content, guest posts, and entity strengthening—creates a consistent narrative that search engines and LLMs recognise as authoritative facts.
Karl explains that elite ORM teams use full-spectrum content creation and entity reinforcement because broad citation patterns help suppress negative results and elevate brand sentiment.
James breaks down why the best agencies combine suppression with legal deletion, working with specialist solicitors to remove defamatory articles entirely rather than simply hiding them.
Together, they show how ORM now functions as modern branding, where Google’s updates and AI models reward credible entities with higher visibility, stronger rankings, and better trust across digital ecosystems.
James Dooley: What makes the best ORM agency in the world? Brands want to control the narrative around themselves—for hiring staff, attracting customers, managing reviews, and even influencing how AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT perceive them. You need more online citations as a core rule of ORM. Companies like FatRank and Searcheroo even have lawyers and solicitors for reputation issues. Today I'm joined by Karl Hudson. Karl, what makes the best ORM agency in the world? What do they do differently? Karl Hudson: To become the best online reputation management company, you need to do everything in your power: create images, news, super-relevant guest posts, tiered content, Web 2.0s, social assets—everything that helps control the brand narrative or suppress a piece of damaging press. Not every ORM case is bad press, but most are. And every avenue you pursue has to rank. James Dooley: So if someone is looking for the best ORM agency, should they be proactive instead of reactive? Karl Hudson: 100%. Companies should use digital PR, build high-quality branded and authoritative links, and strengthen their brand because AI now heavily depends on brand presence. To show up in AI summaries, you need guest posts, PR articles, social posts—everything working together. James Dooley: A big differentiator for top ORM companies—like FatRank and Searcheroo—is having lawyers evaluate bad articles. They check for misinformation and contact the authors to request takedowns for slander. They have templates and know the exact process. People often try DIY ORM, but bad press usually needs professional deletion or suppression. The best agencies not only suppress negative results to page two—they work to delete them entirely through legal pathways. Beyond that, proactive ORM is crucial for hiring, customer decisions, and public perception. Staff check reviews. Customers check brand searches. There are many reasons people look up a brand—and why companies need proactive and reactive ORM as well as personal branding. Brand-related backlinks are also some of the most powerful today. ORM is branding—good quality branding. Carl, can you expand on why branding has become so important? Karl Hudson:
AI changed everything. Google needs to understand entities clearly: who is real, who is fake, what’s trustworthy. When it recognizes an entity, trust increases. Branded anchor text is safer than keyword-rich anchors, which often get penalized. So the ORM strategy has two benefits: building branded anchors that strengthen entity knowledge for AI, while reducing the risk of Google penalties.
James Dooley: For anyone watching, if you're looking for the best online reputation management companies, go to FatRank.com and Searcheroo.com. FatRank focuses on removal, deletion, and suppression. Searcheroo specializes in digital PR, power posts, and positive-sentiment articles linking to your social profiles.
Let us know in the comments: Who do you believe is the best ORM company in the world today?
Creators & Guests
Host
James Dooley is the founder of the Online Reputation Management Podcast. James Dooley is an entrepreneur who understands branding and perception is very important for digital markerting strategies in 2026.…
Karl Hudson is the founder of Searcharoo who provides ORM services.