34 Online Reputation Stats Everybody Should Know in 2026

Online reputation stats can give you insight into the industry and help you decide which strategies to use moving forward to achieve your business goals.

Online reputation management (ORM) is a new concept for many businesses in 2026. It has always been around, though, and it’s typically been referred to as your reputation or industry standing. Formerly, it was primarily tracked by word-of-mouth actions from customer to customer in hopes of generating more business. 

In this digital era, your reputation or online presence can act as a double-edged sword. Plus, for most individuals — unless they’re a celebrity or in the public eye in some way — there’s no online reputation to speak of at all, which can also be problematic for your professional goals.

Think of your online reputation as your safety net in life: If you ever get knocked down, your online reputation can make the difference between staying down and bouncing back on your feet in full stride.

Whether you are a business owner trying to expand your company or an individual looking for a new job or home — or even dabbling in the realm of online dating — the following online reputation stats are sure to put you in the right state of mind. 

Nobody wants to visit a business with a bad reputation, and today, people trust online reviews more than ever. Simply put, there’s too much on the line when you consider reputational risk. A poor reputation can cause irreparable harm and have detrimental effects on your future, both personally and professionally.

As you read the statistics below, keep in mind how imperative it is to build, manage, monitor and maintain a positive reputation. To speak with an ORM expert right away, call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the contact form below.

Career-Related Online Reputation Stats: Finding Qualified Job Candidates and More

On a professional level, would you do business with anyone who has negative reviews online? For most Americans, the answer is “no.” 

Individuals tend to care more about their reputational standing online after a major life change has transpired. Maybe they lost their job suddenly, or perhaps they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and got arrested. Or, maybe they’re looking to change careers but forgot about embarrassing posts from back in college that are lingering on page one of Google.

Whatever your situation is, the following ORM stats are important to keep in mind if you want to improve your life professionally. That goes for job-seekers in addition to business owners. Regardless of whether you care about your online search results or not, potential employers will be looking you up.

For this reason, it is imperative that you make yourself as marketable as possible online. Showcase your best attributes and demonstrate what you can bring to an organization.

Understand These Career ORM Stats To Gain a Competitive Edge

• 74% of hiring managers use social media to screen candidates.
• 68% of hiring managers turn to social to find answers to questions they can’t legally ask in interviews.
• 85% of hiring managers who use social platforms to screen candidates have decided not to hire them based on information they found.
• 64% of consumers stop buying from a brand after learning that the company treats employees poorly.
• 53% of job-seekers look for additional company information after reading a job post.
• 83% of job seekers research a company’s ratings and reviews, reading 6 reviews on average before forming their opinion.
• 71% of Glassdoor users view an employer more favorably if they respond to a review.

Whether you are a current job seeker or looking for personal recommendations to land that promotion, what the internet says about you has an everlasting impact on your success. Be proactive about your reputation, and stop waiting for a crisis to emerge before you decide to act. Call us at 844-461-3632 for more information.

These ORM Statistics Paint a Realistic View of the College Admissions Landscape

It’s not uncommon for young people to make stupid mistakes they regret later in life. Whether you posted an embarrassing photo from a drunken night out with your friends or you decided to broadcast the use of illicit drugs on platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram or YouTube, those past actions can come back to haunt you.

Right now, maybe you’re trying to clean up past mistakes. Or, it’s possible you’re the parent of a teenager who’s going to be in college soon, and you want to teach them how to protect their reputation. You may also be in college at the moment and want to future-proof your online presence. Whatever the case may be, it is important to understand how influential the internet can be on your future.

Think of social media as a working resume for yourself. Decide how you want to present yourself to anyone who may be looking at your social profiles. In addition to what you post on your profiles, protecting your reputation also means being purposeful about the comments you leave on other people’s posts. Even a poorly placed “like” on someone else’s content or comment can cause issues in the future.

College admission advisors are privy to the fact that your college application only shows one side of you. And since there’s a seemingly endless amount of free personal information about you online, it’s common for college personnel to see what else they can find out about you.

Key Takeaways To Help You Create a Strong Online Reputation for College Admissions

• Across the 5 major social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube), 36% of teens use at least one site almost constantly.
• 66% of college admissions officers feel that social media is a fair part of assessing students.
• Only 34% of admissions officers feel that viewing an applicant’s social media accounts is an invasion of privacy and should be avoided.
• Of the admissions officers who check applicants’ social media profiles, 38% say that what they’ve found has reflected positively on the prospective student.
• 57% of admissions officers who use social media when reviewing candidates say that what they’ve found has negatively impacted the student.

Furthermore, one important factor to consider is that college applications are typically only viewed by one or two individuals. Their decisions will impact your future academically. For situations such as these, there really is no second chance or even time to explain yourself.

At NetReputation, we work with individuals to help them build and take control of their online reputation. Give us a call at 844-461-3632 to learn more.

Getting a Clear Picture of Online Dating Reputation Statistics

You can be 20 or 60 years of age, and one thing holds true: The world of online dating never gets easier. However, with all the dating apps available on your phone these days, finding that match seems to be easier than ever before. But is it?

With search engines such as Google at our disposal, blind dates that are set up online never tend to really be that “blind.” In 2026, thanks to people-search sites such as Whitepages or Spokeo, you can essentially find out where a person lives by paying about $10. 

Thanks to these people-search sites, you can find out everything you need to know about that individual before you ever go on your first date. This includes their contact information, details about their relatives, links to their social media profiles, and even their criminal history.

Consider this: If you are the individual who is being researched by a potential date, you need to make sure your online presence is impeccable. Prospective dates are likely to research you in some form before you meet in person. 

What will they find about you on Facebook? What about on Google? Are you confident that your search results are positive? Review all of your social media profiles and search results routinely to make sure they showcase the best version of you.

These Reputation Statistics Will Have a Significant Impact On Your Dating Life

• 73 million consumers use dating apps, with Gen Z and millennials making up the biggest age groups.
• 50% of all daters who use online dating apps or sites search for someone they met online.
• 30% of people who use online dating services and Google someone they meet online either find something objectionable — or find nothing at all — and decide not to meet up in person.
• Approximately 34% of internet users have been catfished at least one time.
• More than 70% of catfishers use fake profiles for the purpose of finding romance.
• 65% of catfish victims meet their catfishers using online dating apps.
• 60% of catfish targets are between the ages of 18 and 34.
• In 45% of reported catfish cases, scammers are active on more than one platform at the same time.

People who use online dating services will Google someone they meet online to verify that the individual is real, fact-check information they were told, and assess how the person interacts on social media.

The Business Impact of Your Company’s Reputation: Business Growth, Online Visibility and More

As a business owner, countless factors influence your ability to scale and grow. One of the most valuable — and most fragile — assets you manage is your digital reputation. This reputation is reflected in your reputation score and shaped by what people see when they research your brand online.

Today, your business is under constant scrutiny. Customers, partners, investors, and even potential employees routinely evaluate brands based on their online presence before making decisions. As a result, ORM isn’t just for damage control — it’s an essential business function that directly impacts trust, credibility, and revenue.

A strong reputation reflects consistency across search results, brand mentions, social platforms, business listings, and customer sentiment. On the other hand, a weak or unmanaged reputation can quickly erode trust.

Even well-established brands are vulnerable — a surge of negative content, misleading information or criticism can overshadow years of brand building. Here are the top ORM stats businesses need to keep in mind as they continue to operate in the digital age:

Top ORM Stats To Understand About a Business’s Reputation Online

• According to over 95% of responders, the top factor that increases trust in a company is if it has a good online reputation.
• 76% of customers take notice of and appreciate it when companies prioritize support.
• Companies that demonstrate brand consistency increase revenue by 10-20%, yet only 30% of organizations with brand guidelines actually enforce them on a regular basis.
• According to more than 45% of internet users, one of their main reasons for going online is to research products and brands.
• 68% of consumers use social platforms to stay up-to-date about new products and services.
• 26.3% of social media users are on platforms to find products to purchase, and a little more than 23% are there to see content from brands they like.
• In the U.S., almost 40% of internet users are worried about how companies use their personal data online.

Managing your reputation means actively monitoring how your business appears online and responding strategically when issues arise. Whether you’re addressing misinformation or customer concerns, professionalism is essential.

At NetReputation, our team of ORM experts knows exactly how to build the reputation you’re after. Speak with us today by calling 844-461-3632.

ORM Stats About Online Business Reviews: Build Consumer Trust, Encourage Customers To Leave Feedback and More

As a consumer, you always look for the best deals, lowest prices, and reputable brands as you shop online. You read online reviews and look at popular review sites to get an idea of what your experience will be like with the business.

Why would you expect your customers to act differently? Just like you rely on online reviews to make business decisions, your consumers read online reviews about your business, too.

As a small business, you must make around-the-clock efforts to generate as many positive reviews as possible.

However, this comes with a caveat. Not everyone in the world is going to love your business and leave you positive reviews, especially without you asking for them. It has become more apparent in recent years that individuals tend to only leave their thoughts online after a bad experience. It’s much more common for unhappy customers to leave negative reviews instead of happy customers leaving positive reviews.

It is rare that you see a customer post an online review saying something like, “The staff was pleasant and helped me with everything I needed.” Instead, businesses tend to get bombarded with an influx of disgruntled testimonials and negative reviews, regardless of how accurate that feedback is.

When this happens, the best thing you can do is work to amend the situation. To the best of your ability, take responsibility and address the points made by the customer in their online review.

The last thing you want is to get into a heated debate with customers over online reviews. Always remember that your future consumers check online reviews for your business, and they’ll act on the information they find. Handling your business’s customer feedback unprofessionally can cause you to lose prospective customers.

Top ORM Statistics About Customer Feedback and How Your Business Responds

• More than 93% of online shoppers read reviews before making an online purchase.
• 36% of consumers use two review sites when researching local businesses, and 41% use at least three sites.
• The “sort by newest” feature on Google reviews is the most useful, according to 47% of consumers.
• Almost 62% of online shoppers search for a company online if they’re not familiar with it; very few of them will make a purchase if negative reviews show up on the search results page.
• 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all reviews, both positive and negative, while only 47% would use a business that doesn’t respond to its reviews.
• Most consumers expect a response to their review within 2 to 3 days and no longer than a week.
• 70% of consumers expect brands to personalize their responses to customer support needs.

The world of online reviews includes fake reviews, unfair reviews and other forms of negative feedback. Assume that anyone reading a review will take it at face value, and make sure your response has a positive influence on the impression they leave with.

Final Thoughts About Building Trust With Your Reputation Management Strategy

Modern companies — and anyone with personal goals in today’s digital age — must ensure they’re building and maintaining a positive reputation. These ORM and online review statistics are proof that protecting your digital presence is imperative if you want to achieve any type of personal or professional success.

You can use the stats above in a number of ways. Maybe you have a better idea of how to increase conversion rates thanks to the online review statistics we talked about. Or, maybe you know how to handle your social media profiles to put your best foot forward and impress future employers.

At NetReputation, we provide a broad range of services to individuals and businesses who want to create, grow or repair their digital reputation. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our solutions and team of experts can help.

Our ORM services include content removal, review management, branding, content creation and more. It’s time to take back control of how people perceive you online so you can attract the opportunities you deserve.

Get in touch with us today to discuss a strategy forward. Call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the form below.