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Online crisis management: viral posts, review bombs, and bad press
By Jeremy Andrews, Senior Reputation Expert, TheBestReputation · · 3 min read
Online crisis management handles fast-moving digital threats: viral posts, review bombing, and breaking negative coverage. Contain first by documenting and reporting policy violations, respond once with facts on your own channels, and begin search recovery only after attention fades.
Three common online crises
| Crisis | First move |
|---|---|
| Viral social post | Document, respond once, don't argue in comments |
| Review bombing | Report to the platform as a coordinated attack |
| Breaking negative news | Holding statement, corrections with evidence |
Speed matters, but so does restraint. Most online crises are extended by the response, not the original post.
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Common questions
- Will Google remove review-bombed reviews?
- Google removes reviews that violate policy, including off-topic or coordinated attacks. Report quickly with evidence.
- Do online crises go away on their own?
- The attention usually fades. The search results can stay for years without recovery work.