In the modern world, where information has become one of the most valuable assets, it is crucial to understand how our reputation influences how others perceive us. This is particularly relevant for brands, companies, and individuals striving for success and recognition in society.

Reputation is the opinion that other people hold about us, based on our actions, words, and deeds. It is a key factor in decision-making regarding collaboration and investments, and it also defines our place in society and the professional environment.

Today, thanks to the internet and technological advancements, our reputation can manifest in various online spaces, such as search engines, social networks, blogs, and forums. In this article, we will explore the fundamental aspects of online reputation and analyze where it can manifest in the internet space.

Search Engines

When it comes to a myriad of phenomena requiring attention, reputation undoubtedly holds a special place. It represents a kind of reflection of opinions about an object or subject. The question of where this opinion can be expressed and shared is directly linked to the global world of the internet. It has long become not only a vast repository of information but also a platform for exchanging opinions.

Undoubtedly, the internet is a saturated virtual space inhabited by numerous websites, each of which can become an arena for expressing reputation. Developing this idea, it is worth noting the significant growth of the world of websites in general. The number of web resources on the global network has increased significantly, creating diverse opportunities for expressing opinions and shaping reputation.

In this context, search engines play a crucial role in answering the question of where reputation manifests on the internet. Platforms like Google, Bing, Yandex, and others not only provide instant access to diverse information but also actively contribute to shaping perceptions of an object from a public opinion standpoint.

Let’s go back in time, to the period between 2006 and 2008, when social networks in Russia were taking their first steps. Reputation management in search engines was the only available tool. At that time, a service known as Search Engine Reputation Management was already known. Many SEO agencies and large digital companies offered it. However, over time, the world underwent changes, and now, as we look back, it becomes clear that we need to introduce another important element into our understanding of the situation.

Social Media

In addition to traditional search engines, we have social media. These platforms not only stand still but constantly evolve, opening new possibilities for expressing opinions and evaluations.

In the past, we could designate them as VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, or YouTube, but not anymore. Now, they are more than just a social network or video hosting. Every comment, every like or dislike on YouTube or other social media platforms represents valuable feedback. They serve as a kind of reflection of the user’s attitude towards the content they consume.

Determining reputation can be done not only through two main channels (search engines and social networks) but also by conducting a more in-depth analysis.


Speaking of search engines and social media, let’s explore the different types that exist.

  1. Search Engines:
    • Google: Globally popular and widely used, with a significant user base.
    • Yandex: Predominantly used in Russia and some CIS countries, sharing popularity with Google in the region.
    • Baidu: A major search engine in China.
    • Yahoo, Bing, MSN: These search engines also have considerable authority, and their usage may vary by region.
  2. Social Media:
    • VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, YouTube: Previously popular in Russia and some CIS countries.
    • Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: Widely used globally.
    • Pinterest: Popular for image sharing.
    • Various platforms in Yandex Catalog: Over 100 social networks registered in the Yandex Catalog, providing a diverse range of options.

It’s important to note that the popularity of search engines and social media can vary by country, and there are regional preferences. Exploring Yandex Catalog’s “Social Networks” section can introduce you to numerous social platforms that may be unfamiliar, but it’s worthwhile to consider global traffic rankings and user statistics to understand the landscape better. For instance, in China, Baidu is a significant search engine, and there are other platforms like Pinterest with their own user bases and characteristics.

This information can be valuable when working on your own reputation. Imagine your business is based in Russia, and you are an international company planning to enter another market. It is crucial at this moment to remember an important aspect: media in another country may differ. Conducting an analysis becomes necessary to understand where and how your target audience manifests itself in this new market.

There are niche projects that may not always be classified as social networks. For example, platforms like Booking.com or TripAdvisor. There are also encyclopedias such as Wikipedia or Cyclopaedia, and so on. Additionally, there are major phenomena like the App Store and Google Play, where the reputation of applications is formed.

When working with an entity, you will need to answer fundamental questions:

  • Where specifically is reputation important for you?
  • Where should you look to check whether people are speaking positively or negatively about you?

Functional Capabilities of Search Engines

When you find yourself in a specific world, such as the realm of Google or Yandex, you realize it’s not just a small portal. Take another look at Yandex or Google in your free time and notice how diverse their capabilities are. Here you have video search, image search, blog search, and various search suggestions.

This phenomenon is an extremely important aspect. Search suggestions provided by Yandex, Google, and other search engines play a crucial role by giving users information about an object’s reputation even before they complete their query.

When a user begins typing the name of a company, a person’s name, or any other query into the search bar, the search engine instantly suggests prompts. These prompts are based on previous queries and actions of other users. These suggestions act as a sort of mirror of public opinion, reflecting how the information and objects of interest were previously perceived and searched for on the web.

This moment becomes critical as the initial impressions of reputation are formed based on this preliminary data. Users can see how often a specific query is associated with positive or negative contexts, significantly influencing their perception and decision-making during the search.

Thus, search suggestions serve as an introductory portrait of an object’s reputation in the online space, creating the first impression and influencing users’ subsequent behavior in decision-making and opinion formation.

You might not be aware yet that the reputation of a company leaves much to be desired. You are just starting to type its name, for instance, to visit their office, and Yandex or Google might provide you with initial suggestions like “scam,” “fraud,” “lawsuit,” and so on. Similarly, after a person’s surname, words like “corruption,” “bribery,” “schemes,” and other negative associations may follow, reaching as far as “murder.”

Once a user notices a suggestion, their hand, whether by their choice or beyond their control, inexorably moves towards selecting that particular suggestion. This shifts their thought process regarding the search for information.

Yandex Maps, Google Maps – are individual entities that require careful examination. Special attention should be given to the recent significant changes in the field of geoservices. 2GIS and Yandex Maps are currently competing for primacy, while Google Maps also strives to carve out its niche.

Not lagging behind are Yula and Avito, trendy services – bulletin boards closely tied to geographical data.

Acknowledging the increasing importance of cartography, Yandex is actively popularizing its maps. When formulating queries in the Yandex search engine, in addition to regular site results and contextual advertising, you increasingly see links to maps. The suggestion goes like this: “Perhaps it will be more convenient for you to use the map to make your choice.”

There is also a category of people who use their phones and Yandex Navigator to search for pizzerias, hair salons, or nearby stores. In addition to information about the address and route, you can also find reviews nearby. Here’s another weak point.

In addition to the discussed topic, search engines and social networks provide a plethora of opportunities to influence the perception and reputation formation of an object, including mechanisms of paid advertising. Tools like Yandex.Direct, Zen, VK Ads, and others provide companies and brands with powerful instruments for promotion and image creation.

However, as it turns out, in this environment, there is a potential risk of competitors intervening in reputation formation. This is particularly noticeable when a user searches for reviews about a bank or another business. In contextual advertising, there is an opportunity for competitors to see the user’s query and direct their ad to attract the attention of those looking for opinions or dissatisfied with their current service provider.

For example, in search results, a user might encounter a contextual ad from a competing bank with a tempting offer, encouraging a switch to the new bank, based on a statement like: “Disappointed with your bank? Call us, we’ll offer more favorable conditions.” Thus, competitors actively hunt for traffic, attracting those who are already expressing disappointment with their current experience or seeking the opinions of other users.

This aspect is quite significant because within the realm of paid advertising, not only the attractiveness of the offer is shaped but also the reputation of the object. In this case, creating a favorable impression about the company or brand can be as crucial as delivering specific services. Therefore, effective reputation management in the realm of paid advertising requires careful monitoring and a strategic approach to minimize negative impacts from competitors.

Yandex and Google Images are crucial components, especially when it comes to individuals. When gathering information about a person, journalists and other information agents must be aware of how they look, how Yandex Images are formed, and how objects are positioned in these images.

This aspect falls within the realm of search engine optimization and is an important element of reputation management. This specialization is called Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM). It’s essential to remember that a search engine includes not only websites but also images.

Searching for videos on Yandex and Google presents an interesting aspect that encompasses various sources, not just YouTube.

The structure of search results includes various websites such as review platforms, forums, blogs, Wikipedia, and many others.

It’s important to note differences in the display order of results. Some pages may feature star ratings, while others may not. Snippets can provide a concise preview of the website in an attractive format, whereas on other pages, it may be less appealing. Thus, the search results themselves present a diverse set of outcomes, excluding contextual advertising and other blocks.

Comments, likes, dislikes, view counts, subscribers

these elements dive into the world of social media, each platform offering a unique environment worth exploring individually. The text of a post includes a person’s opinion on a certain issue. Here, likes and dislikes are present, representing public sentiment that can either support or express opposing views. Additionally, there are posts and comments.

Thus, even if the initial message was expressed neutrally, a real battle can unfold in the comments. If certain questions weren’t addressed in the original post, they may be brought up for discussion in the comments, giving the post new nuances. It’s important to carefully study comments to understand what’s happening in a given situation.

This phenomenon is especially prominent on YouTube, which is extremely significant today. Every time a new video appears on a popular blog or in interviews with well-known personalities, viewers actively express their opinions in the comments.

Comments become a key element of content. Some people even seek comment promotion services, making requests like, “Help us stand out on this YouTube channel; we’ll be at the eighth minute, and maybe they’ll write about us.” Thus, reputation starts to form in the comments, and there’s a demand for promoting positive reviews. The process of promoting comments under a specific video often begins with a question like, “How can we make sure positive comments about us appear at the beginning?”

In addition to the comments themselves, various ratings come into play, including stars, likes, and dislikes. There’s the number of views and the count of subscribers. However, some people still hesitate to open their subscriber lists on YouTube. Why? There’s a fear that they might not be perceived as influential if the subscriber count is only 5000, while someone on Instagram may already have tens of millions of followers. Thus, even the number of people subscribed to you influences your reputation.

Many brand requests sound like, “Create a community for us, grow our YouTube channel, and get it many subscribers.”

Trying to understand their motivation and how it can affect sales often leads to the question, “Why?” However, the answer to this question may lie in people’s perception. In other words, the evaluation of content can depend on how many subscribers a particular YouTube channel has. If a channel has a broad audience, someone might assume that the channel owner deserves respect, and perhaps they will refrain from negative comments.

Let’s summarize.

Reputation holds particular significance in modern life. It influences how others perceive us and plays a crucial role in decision-making regarding collaboration. It is expressed through people’s opinions and can manifest on various online platforms on the internet.

Where does reputation manifest?

  1. Search Engines: Search engines have been and remain the primary source. When seeking information about the reputation of a brand, company, or individual, the first place we turn to is search engines. With an incredible variety of them, different search engines are popular in various countries, alongside Google and Yandex.
  2. Diverse Features of Search Engines:
    • Search suggestions can shape perceptions of an object’s reputation even before the search is completed by providing key words and associations.
    • Yandex and Google Images have a significant impact when searching for individuals, vividly forming impressions about a person.
    • Video searches on Yandex and Google encompass a vast array of sources, with YouTube being a primary contributor.
    • The structure of search results includes various websites like reviews, iRecommend, Wikipedia, emphasizing the importance of differences in displaying results, including star ratings and snippets.
    • Advertising on search engines, configured through paid tools (Yandex.Direct). Competitors can use contextual advertising to attract traffic, especially in situations where users are looking for reviews about a product or service. Such strategies can influence the formation of an object’s reputation within paid advertising.
  3. Social Media: Referring to the Yandex catalog reveals over 100 registered social networks, each with its audience, capable of influencing your reputation. Therefore, when working on your reputation, pay attention to social media traffic in the country or region where your market is located.
  4. Niche Projects:
    • Depending on your field of activity, platforms like Booking.com and TripAdvisor, online tourism platforms, shape reputation through reviews and ratings.
    • App stores like the App Store and Google Play contribute to the reputation of applications.
  5. Geoservices:
    • Mapping services are gaining popularity and continuously evolving. Users can quickly leave reviews, rate, and crucially assess reputation.
    • Main services include Yandex Maps and Google Maps, 2GIS. Also, services like Yula and Avito, closely related to geographic data, fall into this category.
  6. Comments, Likes, Dislikes, Views, Subscribers: Public opinions on social media, particularly YouTube, often become a key element of content.
    • Comments can add nuances to the original message.
    • The quantity of subscribers, likes, views can influence how an individual perceives the initial information.

In recent years, there’s a growing trend of promoting positive comments under videos and developing channels to increase the number of subscribers.

In conclusion, we want to emphasize the importance of conducting analysis to understand where and how your target audience manifests, especially when planning international business expansion.

If you require support in Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) / Online Reputation Management (ORM) for entering the Russian market, simply leave us a request in the form below. We guarantee to find the optimal solution that aligns with your needs.