Visibility Framework ยท 04
Reputation
Become recognised beyond your own website.
Definition
Reputation is what other people say, share and signal about your business.
Unlike Authority, it cannot be created entirely on your own. It is earned through recognition from customers, publishers, communities and other trusted sources.
Why it matters
Anyone can describe themselves as experienced, trustworthy or authoritative.
Reputation provides external confirmation that other people agree.
Signals
Reputation becomes visible through external signals that show your business is recognised beyond the pages it controls.
Reviews
Public evidence from customers that people trust the work you do.
Mentions
References to your business across press, podcasts, newsletters and other websites.
Editorial links
Earned backlinks from reputable websites that choose to reference your work.
Recommendations
Testimonials, referrals and endorsements from people who know your work.
Brand searches
People actively searching for your name or business rather than a generic service.
Citations
Consistent references to your business across directories, platforms and trusted sources.
Method
Reputation cannot be manufactured directly. Create conditions that make recognition more likely.
- 1
Do work worth talking about.
- 2
Make it easy for customers to leave evidence.
- 3
Publish things other people want to reference.
- 4
Build relationships beyond your own website.
- 5
Earn mentions, links and recommendations.
- 6
Repeat consistently until recognition compounds.
Checklist
Look for evidence that recognition exists beyond your own website.
Case studies
Reputation becomes most useful when it can be observed growing over time.
Ben Spooner
Building reputation from a new Google Business Profile
Documenting how reviews, local signals, branded search and external references develop around a new profile.
Connection Clinic
Turning client experience into visible reputation
How reviews, therapist expertise, recommendations and earned recognition contribute to long-term visibility.
References
Primary documentation supporting the reputation signals used throughout the framework.
Tools
Useful tools for observing, collecting and improving external reputation signals.
Reputation Checklist
Review the external signals that show whether your business is recognised beyond its own website.
Google Business Profile
Manage local business information, reviews and visibility across Google.
Google Search Console
Monitor branded searches, links and search visibility over time.