CHALLENGE:
Executives at a Kansas City–based real estate investment firm faced significant online reputation challenges when a past federal court case began appearing prominently in Google search results for their names. At the outset of the engagement, four of the top ten results on page one referenced the case in a negative context, with seven of ten results on page two doing the same. This search landscape created an incomplete and outdated narrative that failed to reflect the executives’ current leadership roles, professional accomplishments, and industry focus.
Compounding the issue, one executive became the target of a coordinated black-hat PR attack. A detractor published false and defamatory allegations on Quora and other online platforms, including scandalous claims about the executive’s private life and unfounded accusations of fraud. Left unaddressed, this content posed a serious risk to credibility, trust, and stakeholder confidence.
SOLUTION:
Red Banyan implemented a comprehensive online reputation management (ORM) and SEO strategy tailored specifically for senior executives in the real estate investment sector. The approach focused on strengthening accurate, high-quality digital assets while systematically addressing and eliminating harmful content.
Red Banyan developed and promoted thought leadership content that highlighted the executives’ experience, market insights, and professional achievements. This content was strategically optimized and distributed to improve search visibility for credible owned and earned media, ensuring positive and accurate narratives ranked prominently.
In parallel, Red Banyan worked directly with platforms hosting false and libelous material. Through targeted outreach, documentation, and platform-specific remediation processes, Red Banyan successfully secured the complete removal of defamatory content associated with the black-hat PR attack.
IMPACT:
Red Banyan’s efforts resulted in a dramatic and measurable improvement in the executives’ online footprint. All negative references to the federal court case were fully removed from the first page of Google search results for both executives. The libelous Quora thread was also completely removed from the internet thanks to our direct communication with the platform. Page one instead featured professional biographies, industry thought leadership, and media placements that positioned them as credible leaders in the real estate investment space.
The removal of false and defamatory posts eliminated a major reputational threat and restored confidence in the accuracy of the executives’ digital presence. By reshaping search results and reinforcing a clear, professional narrative, Red Banyan ensured that investors, partners, and other stakeholders encountered a current, credible, and fair representation of the executives online.