Google’s recent decision to discontinue its continuous scroll feature has significant implications for online reputation management (ORM) firms and individuals striving to manage their online brands. The continuous scroll feature allowed users to seamlessly glide through search results without the need to click “Next,” offering more real estate for digital marketers and SEO professionals. However, this feature also presented challenges for ORM firms as they had to continuously manage negative content across an extended array of results.
Google’s decision to reintroduce pagination suggests that user behavior and clicks did not evolve to mimic the “doom scrolling” patterns seen on social media platforms. The company aims to make the process of scrolling through search results faster and more efficient for users. With the return of pagination, the first page of search results once again becomes crucial for online reputation management. Historically, the first page, limited to about 10 links, has been the ultimate showcase of relevance and authority.
Most users do not venture beyond the first page of search results, with the top three organic results capturing the majority of clicks. This behavior has significant implications for ORM, as content beyond the 10th link becomes essentially invisible. The ranking position significantly impacts click-through rates, with the #1 result capturing 31.7% of clicks and the #10 spot only capturing about 2.5% of clicks. Additionally, 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, making it harder to present a well-rounded narrative to potential customers.
During a reputational crisis, mitigating negative content becomes more challenging with limited prime real estate on the first page of search results. Positive or neutral content must rank highly to ensure the burying of negative links. Negative reviews can still appear alongside the top three search results, potentially creating a reputation crisis. Understanding why negative content attracts attention is crucial in ORM, as our brains are wired to focus on disaster and tragedy first. This psychological backdrop requires diligent monitoring and proactive content strategies to counterbalance negative stories.
With Google’s shift from continuous scroll back to pagination, individuals and brands must adjust their ORM strategies to maintain a strong digital presence. Optimizing for Page 1, enhancing brand authority, proactive monitoring, active content management, and utilizing paid strategies are key steps to adapt effectively. Emphasizing user engagement through interactive content and customer interaction is also important. By implementing these strategies, individuals and brands can navigate the return to pagination and maintain a positive online reputation.
