In this blog post:
definition of an online reputation audit; steps to conduct one on Google within half an hour; a free template for an online reputation audit; an easy way to calculate your reputation audit score; and priority fixes.
Most people audit the reputation of their business by performing a single search using the business name on Google and scanning the results for one minute. If nothing pops up, they are happy and close the tab.
That misses a lot, like old reviews on sites you forgot about, odd autocomplete suggestions, or a news article from three years ago sitting on page one.
A proper online reputation audit takes about half an hour and needs only a browser and a spreadsheet. If you have ever typed “how to check my online reputation” into Google, this is the plain version. You get a timed routine, a brand reputation audit checklist to copy into a sheet, and a way to score what you find. The short version of how to audit brand reputation on Google step by step is seven searches in 30 minutes.
What is an online reputation audit?
An online reputation audit is a review of everything a stranger can find and read about your business online. That covers search results, reviews, news, images, videos, social profiles and the suggestions Google shows when someone types your name.
At Build Brand Better, we treat the audit as the first step before any repair or branding work, because you cannot fix what you have not listed. Our online reputation audit page explains what we check for brands. This blog covers the do-it-yourself version.
Why start with Google?
Google is where many people check you before they call or buy. A BrightLocal survey showed that 97% of US adults read online reviews, and 41% of them do it constantly now, which is an increase from 29% compared to last year. Treat this survey data as a trend, not an exact figure.
Consumers also use around six review sites on average, which is why one Google search is never the whole audit.
Before you start the clock:
Spend two minutes on setup. Use a new window or log out of your Google account so that the past searches do not affect the search results you see. Set your browser to use your country because the results vary based on location.
Then write down every name people might type. That means your brand name, common misspellings, your founder’s name, old company names and main product names. Open a blank sheet and copy the columns from the template further down.
How to audit brand reputation on Google step by step:
The clock starts after setup. Here is the full routine at a glance.
| Step: | Time: | What do you do? |
| Brand search | 5 min | Search your brand name and log the top 10 results. |
| Trouble words | 5 min | Add words like ‘reviews’, ‘complaints’, ‘scam’. |
| Autocomplete | 3 min | Check suggestions and related searches. |
| Review sites | 7 min | Check rating, count, dates and replies. |
| Business Profile | 3 min | Check your Google listing details. |
| News, images, videos | 4 min | Use the tabs under the search bar |
| Social and forums | 3 min | Check profiles, Reddit and Quora |
- Step 1: Search your brand name (5 minutes).
Search your brand name with and without quotes. For each of the top 10 results, note the site, the position and whether it is owned by you, neutral or negative. Glance at page two as well, because a bad result sitting there can move up later.
- Step 2: Add trouble words (5 minutes)
Search your brand name plus words like reviews, complaints, scam, fraud, legit, refund and lawsuit. Do the same with your founder’s name. These are the searches a careful buyer tends to run before paying, so give them extra attention. A forum thread titled “Is this company fake?” matters even if it only has ten replies.
- Step 3: Check autocomplete and related searches (3 minutes).
Type your brand name slowly and write down every suggestion. Then scroll to People Also Ask and Related Searches. A suggestion like “brand name complaints” shows up in front of everyone who types your name. If you find one, our page on changing Google autocomplete is a good next read.
- Step 4: Check review sites (7 minutes)
Open Google reviews first, then Trustpilot, Glassdoor, Indeed and any review site common in your industry. For each result, record the number of stars it gets, the number of reviews, the latest review date, and the number of negative reviews without any responses.
Dates matter more than most owners think. In the 2026 BrightLocal data, 74% of consumers look for reviews from the last three months, and 31% will only use businesses rated 4.5 stars or higher. Picture a 4.6 rating where the newest review is from 2023. That rating may not help you much.
- Step 5: Check your Google Business Profile (3 minutes)
Search for your business using Google Maps. Check the information for accuracy.
Look for duplicate listings and for reviews or questions nobody has answered. These are small things and easy to fix, but customers notice wrong hours quickly. Our page on Google listing reputation management goes deeper.
- Step 6: Look at news, images and videos (4 minutes)
Repeat your brand search and click the News, Images and Videos tabs one by one. Old articles, legal pages, unflattering photos and YouTube videos often show up here even when the main results look clean. Note the date and website for each one.
- Step 7: Check social profiles and forums (3 minutes)
Search the site reddit.com for “your brand name” and then do the same for quora.com. After that, look at your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X pages, and search for fake profiles using your logo.
Founders can also try Google’s Results About You tool. It can notify you when new search results match your personal contact info. Keep in mind that removing a result from Search does not remove the information from the web entirely.
Free online reputation audit checklist (copy this template):
Paste this table into a spreadsheet and fill one row per finding. Add a date column so you can compare later.
| Area: | What to check? | Status (Good / Watch / Bad): | Links and notes: |
| Brand search | Top 10 results and who owns each | ||
| Trouble words | Complaint, scam and refund results | ||
| Autocomplete | Suggestions and related searches | ||
| Google reviews | Rating, count, newest date, unanswered | ||
| Other review sites | Trustpilot, Glassdoor, Indeed, industry sites | ||
| Business Profile | Name, address, phone, hours, duplicates | ||
| News | Articles on brand or founder | ||
| Images and videos | Old or unwanted media | ||
| Forums | Reddit and Quora threads | ||
| Social profiles | Fake pages, outdated info |
This free online reputation audit checklist works for a single shop and for a company with many brands. Just add rows. Keep the brand reputation audit checklist in a shared sheet and copy the tab each time so you can see what changed since last time.
How to score what you found?
This is a simple rule of thumb, not a Google rule. Count the negative results in the top 10 for your brand name search, then add what you saw in reviews.
| What do you see? | Rating: | Next step: |
| 0 to 1 negative result, recent reviews, 4+ stars | Healthy | Repeat in 6 to 12 months. |
| 2 to 3 negative results, or reviews going stale | Watch | Reply to reviews and refresh profiles this month |
| 4 or more negative results, or any negative result in the top 3 | Act now. | Start fixing, and get help if the content is serious |
What to fix first?
Start with what you control. Update old profiles, correct wrong listings and clean up outdated pages on your own site. This is usually the fastest win.
Next, reply to reviews. Responses must be brief and address the complaint in a civil and relevant manner. Our customer review response guide provides sample responses.
After that, publish fresh and useful content such as press mentions, interviews and helpful blog posts, so better results can fill page one over time. We explain the idea of how to push down negative search results.
When do we step in?
If a news article, a defamatory post or private information shows up in your audit, it is usually not a job to fix alone. When someone comes to us after their own audit, we ask for the same sheet, run the checks again, and add competitor comparison and a written plan. We cannot promise a specific ranking or removal, because Google and other platforms make those calls.
You can read about our negative result removal and crisis management services or request a free consultation through the contact page.
Conclusion
A useful online reputation audit does not need special software. You need 30 minutes, a private browser window and the free online reputation audit checklist above. If you are still wondering how to check my online reputation, start with Step 1 today and fill in the sheet as you go.
Run the routine again in six to twelve months, or sooner after bad news or a burst of negative reviews. Use the brand reputation audit checklist to compare each round with the last one. And if you want a second pair of eyes, we at Build Brand Better are happy to look at your sheet with you.
FAQs
Q1. What is an online reputation audit?
This is an analysis of what is being said about you on the web by customers, searchers, news agencies and social media. It is meant to create a list of what is working for your business, what is against it and what needs immediate attention.
Q2. How to check my online reputation for free?
Search your brand name in a private window, add words like reviews and complaints, and check autocomplete, review sites and the News, Images and Videos tabs. Google Alerts is free and can email you about new mentions.
Q3. How long does an online reputation audit take?
The Google-based version in this guide takes about 30 minutes plus a couple of minutes for setup. A deeper audit with competitor comparison and sentiment tracking takes longer.
Q4. How often should a company conduct an online reputation audit?
Every 6 to 12 months is a good interval.
Also run one after a product launch, a bad news story or a wave of negative reviews.
Q5. What should a brand reputation audit checklist include?
At minimum: brand search results, trouble-word searches, autocomplete, review sites, Google Business Profile, news, images, videos, social profiles and forums. The template above covers all of these.
Q6. Can I remove a bad result from Google myself?
Sometimes. Google’s Results About You tool helps you find and remove results showing details like your phone number or address. Reviews and articles that follow platform rules usually stay unless the platform or publisher agrees to change them, and removal from search does not delete the original page.
Q7. Do I need a paid tool to run an audit?
No. A browser, a spreadsheet and free tools like Google Alerts cover a first audit. Paid tools or an agency help when you have many locations, lots of mentions or serious negative content.
