88% of consumers check online reviews before choosing a local business. In Belgium, a single unaddressed negative review on Google My Business can cause your conversion rate to drop by 22%.
E-reputation (or digital reputation) refers to the image that the web reflects of your company, your brand or yourself. It is made up of customer reviews, press articles, social media mentions, Google search results and any digital trace accessible to the public.
At Ligne 1, we don't just monitor your e-reputation — we actively build it. Our approach combines proactive review management, positive content creation, real-time monitoring and, when necessary, the exercise of the right to be forgotten to remove damaging content.
of consumers read reviews before buying
customer loss from a single unaddressed negative review
Google review management: turning every piece of feedback into a business asset
Google reviews have become the primary decision criterion for Belgian consumers when searching for a local provider. Before calling you, before visiting your site, your potential customers look at your average rating and read your last 3 reviews. A rating below 4 stars eliminates your business from consideration for the majority of prospects.
But Google reviews are not just a reputation tool — they are also a local SEO factor. Google uses the quantity, quality, frequency and keyword diversity in reviews to rank businesses in the Local Pack (the 3 map results). The more recent and positive reviews you have, the more visible you are.
Our review management strategy
- Audit of your existing reviews — Complete inventory of all your reviews on Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, Yelp and sector-specific platforms. Overall sentiment analysis, identification of strengths and recurring issues.
- Proactive collection system — Implementation of an automated process to encourage satisfied customers to leave a review: post-purchase email, QR code at point of sale, follow-up SMS, direct link to the Google review form.
- Professional responses — Every review (positive or negative) receives a personalised response within 24 hours. For negative reviews, we apply the HEARD method: Hear, Empathise, Apologise, Resolve, Document. The goal: turn a dissatisfied customer into an advocate.
- Reporting of fake reviews — Some negative reviews violate Google's policies: reviews from people who never visited, disguised competitor reviews, defamatory content. We identify these reviews and file a substantiated removal request with Google.
- Dilution strategy — When a legitimate negative review cannot be removed, the best defence is abundance: we accelerate the collection of positive reviews so the negative one is relegated to the bottom of the list and your average rating rises.
Our clients on a review management contract receive an average of 3 to 5 new positive reviews per month and see their average rating increase by 0.3 to 0.5 stars in 6 months. The impact on traffic and conversions is immediate.
Right to be forgotten: erasing damaging traces
The right to be forgotten (or right to de-referencing) is a fundamental right enshrined in Article 17 of the GDPR. It allows any natural or legal person to request that Google remove search results concerning them, when those results are inaccurate, outdated, excessive or privacy-invasive.
This right has been reinforced by European case law since the landmark "Google Spain" ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (2014), which established that search engines are responsible for the processing of the personal data they index.
In which cases should you exercise the right to be forgotten?
- Outdated press articles — A newspaper article reporting on a dispute resolved years ago continues to appear on the first page of Google when your name is searched. The right to be forgotten allows you to request its de-referencing.
- Non-consented personal information — Your personal contact details (address, phone number, photos) appear on directories or third-party sites without your consent.
- Defamatory content — Blog articles, comments or social media posts contain false or defamatory information about you.
- Outdated judicial data — Mentions of old legal proceedings (time-barred or settled) appear in search results and harm your professional activity.
- Stale business results — Historical negative reviews, pages of rehabilitated bankruptcies or articles linked to former activities continue to pollute your e-reputation.
Our right-to-be-forgotten procedure
At Ligne 1, we offer comprehensive support to exercise your right to be forgotten:
- Visibility audit — Complete mapping of all Google results linked to your name or brand. Identification of each piece of damaging content.
- Legal analysis — Assessment of the admissibility of each request against GDPR criteria and European case law. In collaboration with our network of lawyers specialised in digital law where necessary.
- Filing of requests — Drafting and submission of de-referencing requests to Google, Bing and other search engines. Follow-up of responses and reminders.
- Alternative removal strategy — When de-referencing is refused, we deploy a "positive flooding" strategy: creation of SEO-optimised positive content that pushes negative results to page 2 or 3 of Google (where nobody goes).
Success rate: our right-to-be-forgotten requests succeed in 65 to 80% of cases. For the remaining cases, our positive flooding strategy neutralises the impact of the negative content within 3 to 6 months.
E-reputation monitoring: never be caught off guard
E-reputation monitoring involves permanently watching everything that is said about your company, your brand or your executives on the Internet. It is an early warning system that allows you to react immediately to a positive mention (to capitalise on it) or a negative one (to manage it before it goes viral).
What we monitor for you
- Google search results — Daily monitoring of the top 30 results for your brand keywords. Immediate alert in the event of a new positive or negative piece of content appearing.
- Customer reviews (Google, Trustpilot, Facebook) — Real-time notification of each new review posted. Automatic sentiment analysis (positive / neutral / negative).
- Social media — Tracking of your brand mentions on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter). Detection of emerging "bad buzz" before they escalate.
- Forums and blogs — Monitoring of sector discussions on Belgian and French-speaking forums. Identification of questions asked by your potential customers that you can answer to demonstrate your expertise.
- Online press — Alerts on any mention of your company in Belgian media: Le Soir, La Libre, L'Écho, RTBF, Sudinfo, etc.
Personal branding: managing the image of your executives
In Belgium, the reputation of an SME is often inseparable from that of its leader. Personal branding is the art of building and controlling your professional image online. We optimise your LinkedIn profile, create expert content in your name, manage your presence on key platforms and ensure that Google results associated with your name reflect your expertise and credibility.
At Ligne 1, e-reputation monitoring is included in all our Pro and Premium maintenance contracts. You receive a monthly report with all mentions of your brand and recommended actions. Let's talk about your reputation →
E-reputation crisis management: act fast, act right
A bad buzz can occur at any time: an incendiary review that goes viral, a negative press article, a communication error on social media, a disgruntled former employee publishing accusations online. In these situations, every hour counts. A response that is too slow or clumsy can amplify the crisis instead of containing it.
Our emergency protocol
- H+1 — Analysis and containment — Assessment of severity, identification of affected channels, measurement of virality. Immediate implementation of protective actions (official response, reporting of abusive content).
- H+4 — Communication strategy — Drafting of an official statement, preparation of key messages, definition of tone (factual, empathetic, firm depending on context). Coordination with your internal teams and your lawyer if necessary.
- D+1 to D+7 — Positive offensive — Accelerated publication of positive content (testimonials, achievements, press releases) optimised for SEO to counterbalance negative search results.
- D+7 to D+30 — Monitoring and repair — Intensive monitoring of the crisis evolution. Adjustment of actions according to trajectory. Detailed crisis report with lessons learned and preventive recommendations.
In the event of an e-reputation crisis, call our emergency line. Our teams can be mobilised within 2 hours, 7 days a week. Every hour lost in a reputation crisis is an hour gained by misinformation.
Your questions about e-reputation
Can a negative Google review be removed?
If the review violates Google's policies (defamatory content, fake review, from a competitor, off-topic), it can be flagged for removal. If the review is legitimate, the best strategy is to respond professionally and generate more positive reviews to dilute its impact. We handle the flagging and responses on your behalf.
What is the right to be forgotten?
The right to be forgotten, enshrined in the GDPR (Article 17), allows any person to request the removal of Google search results concerning them, when those results are inaccurate, outdated or excessive. We put together the complete case and submit it to Google on your behalf.
How long does it take to improve my Google rating?
With our proactive review collection system, you can gain 0.3 to 0.5 stars in 3 to 6 months. The key: automate the solicitation of satisfied customers and respond professionally to every review. We set up the system and manage it for you.
How do you handle a bad buzz?
The golden rule: react quickly, stay factual, never ignore. Our emergency protocol mobilises a dedicated team within 2 hours of the alert. We manage crisis communication, flagging, official responses and the content recovery strategy.
Do you offer an audit of my online reputation?
Yes. We offer a complete e-reputation audit that maps all Google results linked to your name and brand, analyses the sentiment of reviews, identifies at-risk content and establishes a prioritised action plan. Request the free audit →
Your online reputation is your most valuable asset.
Free e-reputation audit with every quote request. Find out what the web says about you — and take back control.