The Alter Ego Strategy is used for suppression of negative links on Google.
This strategy works well and actually saves you time because you don’t have to approve every piece of content we create.
It’s effective and affordable.
Please reach out if you’d like to learn more about protecting your online reputation.
- What Is The Alter Ego Strategy?
- Why Use The Alter Ego Strategy For?
- Is This Strategy Legal?
- Advantages and Disadvantages
- Summary
What Is The Alter Ego Strategy?
The alter ego strategy is a suppression tactic used to push down negative search results.
It involves the creation of a 100% “made up” person that shares the same name as you.
All of the images, content, and press releases used in bios, interviews, news, and websites we create are fictional.
There are no similarities between the “fake you” and the “real you.”
The goal of the alter ego content is to have it rank well and rank fast, pushing down all of the negative links.
Why Use The Alter Ego Strategy?
You might be thinking, “Why would anyone want to use a strategy like this?”
Well, it works, it saves you time, and for many, it’s easier for us to help achieve your goal of suppressing negative links.
People who are an excellent fit for the alter ego strategy include:
- Stay-at-home Moms or Dads
- Students
- Retirees
- Regular employees (non executive level)
- Anyone who wants to remain anonymous
The reason why the group of people listed above are good fits for this strategy is because a lot of the content we publish for clients is made up of press releases and interviews.
Typically, the press releases and interviews are more business-focused, so the group listed above aren’t a super great fit.
For example, a stay-at-home-parent wouldn’t necessarily have much to discuss on an interview platform where they are being asked about their career (not to say there’s anything negative about stay-at-home-parents, my Mom was one, and I’m a big fan of it, but that’s a whole other topic :).
Junior level employees, interns and students aren’t usually the subject of press releases, so that’s why they’re a good fit for the fake persona that comes with the alter ego.
Another reason clients opt for the alter ego strategy is because they don’t want more information about themselves online.
These are folks who prefer to remain anonymous and value their privacy.
They don’t want anything else being published about them on the internet.
Quite simply, the alter ego strategy gives us the freedom to build out a big personality online with all the bells and whistles that Google loves, so the “fake you” content ranks well and pushes down the negative content with your name in it.
Is This Strategy Legal?
Yes.
It might seem like some line is being crossed since we are creating images and an entire persona out of thin air, but it is certainly not illegal.
We’ve used this strategy hundreds of times with no issues.
Matt points out in the video that some websites (such as interview websites) may have guidelines advising against using any details that are false, but these would be few and far between.
Put simply, there is nothing stopping us from creating a fake persona or business and posting about them or it on the internet.
It’s important to understand that we’re not impersonating anyone, trolling anyone, making up lies about someone specific.
We’re telling a story and there is nothing wrong with that.
Feel free to Google it and do your own research.
Advantages and Disadvantages
There are multiple advantages for using the alter ego strategy for online reputation.
The disadvantages are pretty much non-existent.
Advantages
- Takes less time from client, approvals on all content are not needed
- Works just as well as creating content about the “real you”
- Sometimes it works better if Google shows multiple social media and website links for people with the same name
Disadvantages
- No new content about the “real you” is published
- Not ideal for business owners or C-level executives
Summary
The alter ego strategy is an effective suppression method we use for online reputation management.
It’s simple to employ, doesn’t cost you anymore money, and requires less of your time to approve every piece of content we write.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to control the conversation about you online, this strategy can work wonders for you.
We hope to be able to serve you.