How to prepare a reputation project brief

01

Start with the result you need

“Fix my reputation” is too broad to define a project. Write the observable change you want: correct a wrong job title, remove an exposed home address where eligible, update a stale article, or improve the accuracy of your company’s own information. These outcomes require different work.

For a US business with customers in Mexico, record both English and Spanish searches. Include the company name, trading name, and spelling variations people actually use. Do not assume one country’s results represent the other market.

02

Create one record for each source

Keep the source URL separate from the Google result. A screenshot documents what you saw; the direct URL identifies what a publisher or platform needs to review. If an article has several syndicated copies, list each copy and its publisher.

• Direct URL and page title
• Date observed and publication date, if shown
• Exact factual statement or private detail at issue
• Supporting record and who is authorized to share it
• Audience, language, and business impact
• Previous request, reference number, reply, and next step

03

Use a brief that someone else can act on

A practical example: “Our executive biography lists a role that ended in March. The current company biography confirms the new role. We want the publisher to update that specific sentence.” This is an illustrative brief, not a client case study.

Store identity documents separately from the working URL list. Redact unrelated information when preparing supporting material, and use the official channel specified by the recipient. Do not put sensitive records in a publicly shared spreadsheet.

04

Agree the decision process before outreach

Choose a project contact, an approver, and the point at which legal counsel should review an issue. Record which requests the agency can send and which require your sign-off. A clear approval process prevents conflicting messages to the same publisher.

Your Reputation Agency uses the initial assessment to separate removal eligibility, source corrections, review responses, and longer-term visibility work. The brief should make those workstreams and their dependencies visible.

Continue with your next step