Matt Peters is the founder and CEO of Search Manipulator, an online reputation management company that helps customers to take control of their online presence, especially if it has been negatively affected or attacked. Matt Peters reviews each client’s online reputation and comes up with a customized strategy rather than putting it through a cookie cutter process.
Matt and Search Manipulator help leverage search results to grow their client’s business and increase its audience through the removal of unflattering reviews as well as promotion of positive content. Matt started SearchManipulator just under 13 years ago with an engineer’s mindset as opposed to a salesperson’s.
He and his team are able to effectively navigate the constantly evolving world of search algorithms. Matthew earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University and has been featured on Huffington Post, CBS Money Watch, ESPN Radio’s Lunch N Learn, and much more.
What is Search Manipulator all about?
Search Manipulator is all about helping our clients to regain control of their reputation and online presence. There is no shortage of examples in recent history of businesses or people whose careers were negatively affected, sometimes ruined, due to an unhappy employee or customer who attacked their credibility and good name. At Search Manipulator we start out with a review of each client’s online reputation and presence, and from there we craft a customized strategy. It can be through many different outlets, including suppressing unflattering articles or getting rid of negative reviews. It really all depends on the needs and goals of each individual client.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I earned my bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham, and I was coming from a background in search engine optimization and online marketing, when I saw an opportunity to help businesses manage their online reputations. This was about 12 years ago, and at the time there really wasn’t anyone doing this kind of work. It was more of a reactive process back then as well, so if someone posted something negative online, the only thing you could really do was try to drown it out with positive content. But that’s not really an effective solution because it doesn’t address the root of the problem.
I wanted to help businesses proactively take control of their reputations and put them in a position where they could respond quickly and effectively to any negative attacks. And that’s really what Search Manipulator is all about – helping our clients take control of their online presence and reputation.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
I think the three most important skills for any entrepreneur are creativity, adaptability, and perseverance.
- First, you need to be creative in order to come up with new and innovative ideas. Without creativity, it’s very difficult to stand out in today’s competitive marketplace.
- Second, you need to be adaptable because the business world is constantly changing. You need to be able to pivot and adjust your business model as needed in order to stay ahead of the curve.
- And finally, you need perseverance because starting a business is not easy. There will be obstacles and challenges along the way, and it’s important to have the grit and determination to keep going even when things get tough.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
I want Search Manipulator to become the go-to company for anyone who needs help managing their online reputation.
To do this, I plan on continuing to invest in the latest and greatest technology and tools available. I also want to continue to expand our team of experts so that we can provide the best possible service to our clients. At the end of the day, it is just like any other industry, in that, companies who provide the best product or service are the ones who rise to the top. I know that we have great customer service and provide great results, and that we are the only SEO and online reputation management company that provides truly unique and customizable strategies for our clients.
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
The pandemic has definitely been a challenge for us, like it has been for so many other businesses. We’ve had to make some adjustments to the way we operate, but I’m happy to say that we’ve been able to adapt and continue to provide our services to clients throughout the world. One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is working remotely. We used to have a physical office where everyone worked together, but now everyone is working from home. This has been a bit of an adjustment, but we’ve made it work by investing in the right tools and technology.
Another challenge has been staying creative with our marketing efforts. With so many businesses competing for attention online, it’s been important to get creative with our marketing campaigns and make sure that we are standing out from the crowd.
All in all, I’d say the biggest lesson we’ve learned during the pandemic is the importance of adaptability. Things can change very quickly, and you need to be able to pivot and adjust your business accordingly.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I think the biggest thing that sets us apart from our competitors is our focus on customer service. We really pride ourselves on providing a great experience for our clients, and I think that shows in everything we do. From the initial review to the project delivery, we always put our clients first. We also offer a lot of unique and custom services that you won’t find at other companies.
For example, we have a team of expert writers who can create custom content for your website or blog, and we also offer social media management services. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive online reputation management solution, we’re definitely the company for you.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- I think the biggest mistake I made when starting my business was not investing enough in marketing. I was so focused on the product and making sure that everything was perfect that I didn’t really focus on getting the word out there about my company. I’ve since learned that no matter how great your product or service is, if nobody knows about it, you’re not going to be successful. So, now I make sure to invest a significant portion of my budget into marketing and promotion.
- Another mistake I made was not hiring help sooner. When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to try to do everything yourself, but this is usually not sustainable in the long run. I quickly realized that I couldn’t do everything myself and that I needed to start building a team to help me with the day-to-day operations of the business.
- The last mistake I made was not setting realistic goals. When you’re first starting a business, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and set goals that are unrealistic. This can lead to disappointment and discouragement down the road. So, now I make sure to set realistic goals that I know my team can achieve.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
We’ve found that the most successful form of marketing for us is content marketing. We create a lot of helpful and informative blog posts, infographics, and videos that help our clients improve their online reputation. We also make sure to optimize all of our content for SEO, so that people can easily find it when they’re searching for reputation management information online. In addition to content marketing, we also do a lot of email marketing and social media promotion.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far is adapting to changes in the online landscape. With Google making so many changes to their algorithm, it’s been important to stay ahead of the curve and make sure our techniques are up-to-date. We’ve been able to overcome this challenge by investing in the latest tools and technology, as well as by staying up-to-date on the latest SEO trends.
Another big challenge has been managing our reputation online. With so much negative content being published online, it can be difficult to make your voice heard above the noise. We’ve been able to overcome this challenge by creating a lot of positive content about our company, and by actively engaging with our clients and followers on social media.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’ve been doing a thorough review of our clients satisfaction rates and customer service feedback to see what specific areas are working best and where we can improve. We provide custom work for each client, so it is beneficial to look at what is generating the best results as well as resonating with our clients the most.
There is an ongoing refinement of the balance between ease for our client and effectiveness in results. If the SEO / reputation management is great but it is an arduous and stressful process for our clients, then that is not an effective model. The reverse is true. No client wants to be hands off if that means the results suffer.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
One of my favorite productivity tips is to create a daily to-do list and stick to it. This helps ensure that I don’t overlook any important tasks and that I stay on track with my goals.
Another tip that I find helpful is to take breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate my mind and body. This helps me stay focused and productive when I return to work.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Assuming I had a laptop and unlimited wifi, I would spend the $1,000 on marketing tools and services that could help me promote my business. This might include things like a subscription to a content marketing platform, a social media management tool, and an SEO toolkit. I would also use the money to create some high-quality marketing content, such as an ebook or video series, that I could use to promote my business.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I stay driven and motivated to keep going in my business by setting goals and staying focused on what I want to achieve. I also find it helpful to celebrate every small victory, no matter how big or small. This helps me stay positive and motivated and keeps me moving forward.
Finally, I always remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that success takes time and hard work.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Starting out as an entrepreneur can be challenging, but it’s also very rewarding. Here are some valuable tips to help you get started:
- Stay focused on your goals and keep moving forward.
- Invest in the latest tools and technology.
- Create a lot of positive content about your business.
- Engage with your clients and followers on social media.
- Don’t give up – success takes time and hard work.
What is your definition of success?
Success to me is achieving my goals and making a positive impact on the world. I also believe that success is relative, so it can mean different things to different people. For me, success is about living a happy and fulfilling life.
How can readers get in touch with you?
The best way for your readers to contact me is through our Search Manipulator website.
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