Companies spend months preparing for major business milestones, from funding rounds and acquisitions to partnerships and executive changes. According to Erase.com CEO Cenk Uzunkaya, one important part of that preparation is still being overlooked: what people will find when they search the company and its leadership.

Uzunkaya is urging CEOs and executive teams to audit their online presence before major announcements or transactions put them under increased scrutiny.

“The worst time to discover a reputation problem is when investors, partners, or customers are already looking,” said Uzunkaya. “Before a major business milestone, companies should know exactly what people will find when they search the business and its leadership.”

CEO Reputation Can Become a Business Issue

An executive’s online presence doesn’t exist separately from the company they lead.

Research from Weber Shandwick found that executives believe a CEO’s reputation accounts for nearly half of a company’s overall reputation and market value.

For companies approaching an important milestone, that connection can become especially important. Investors, potential partners, customers, employees, and other stakeholders may research both the business and the people behind it before making decisions.

Old articles, outdated information, negative search results, inconsistent executive profiles, or unresolved complaints can suddenly receive attention they didn’t have before.

Reputation Audits Should Happen Before Attention Spikes

Uzunkaya recommends treating an online reputation review as part of the preparation that happens before a major business event, rather than waiting until a problem appears.

That means reviewing areas such as:

• Executive search results: what appears when stakeholders search for company leadership

• Company search results: whether current information accurately represents the business

• News coverage: old or negative stories that remain highly visible

• Reviews and complaints: recurring issues that could raise questions

• Executive profiles: outdated or inconsistent information across major platforms

The goal isn’t to create a flawless online presence. It’s to understand what stakeholders are likely to see before their attention is already focused on the company.

Waiting Can Make Reputation Problems Harder to Address

Reputation issues often go unnoticed when there is no immediate reason for people to search a company or its leadership closely.

A funding announcement, acquisition, major partnership, leadership change, or other significant event can change that quickly.

“Companies prepare their financials, strategy, presentations, and internal teams before a major opportunity,” Uzunkaya said. “Online reputation should be part of that preparation. Waiting until scrutiny increases puts the company in a reactive position.”

For Uzunkaya, the larger issue is timing. Online reputation management is often treated as a response to a problem when it can be more valuable as a form of preparation.

By understanding what already exists online before an important business milestone, companies have more time to address outdated information, strengthen their presence, and avoid being caught off guard when attention increases.

About Cenk Uzunkaya

Cenk Uzunkaya is the CEO of Erase.com and an online reputation expert. He focuses on helping individuals and organizations approach online reputation as a long-term strategic asset, with an emphasis on search visibility, credibility, and sustainable reputation management.

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