Online Reputation Management Australia (ORMA) ABN: 53 619 289 208 — www.orma.com.au
These Terms apply to the services described in the proposal you have signed. Together with the proposal, they form our agreement.
1. What we'll do
We'll work to suppress the negative search results listed in your proposal from Page 1 of Google for the keyphrases listed in your proposal, using our online reputation management methodology.
The negative results we are engaged to suppress are the specific URLs and content items listed in your proposal at the time of signing. If new negative content appears about you during the campaign, that is outside the scope of this agreement. We're happy to discuss adding it as a scope variation with a corresponding adjustment to fee and timeframe.
By "Page 1 of Google" we mean the first ten organic results on google.com.au when searched from a desktop browser, on an Australian IP address, in a fresh incognito or private window with no specified location signal. This is the SERP captured in our monthly reports. We don't count paid ads, image carousels, video carousels, or position changes that only appear when location, login, or browsing history are personalised.
By "suppress" we mean moving a result off Page 1, not deleting it from the internet. Removal of content from its source is sometimes possible through direct outreach, but it's never guaranteed and depends entirely on the third party.
2. What we don't promise
Our service is built on proven SEO and content techniques with a strong track record. We commit our full expertise and effort to displacing the negative results in your proposal from Page 1 of Google.
Search engines decide what ranks. We don't control Google or the websites hosting negative content, so while we apply our methodology to give your campaign the best chance, we can't promise:
- A specific position on Page 1
- That every targeted negative result will be displaced (some are more entrenched than others)
- That any third party will remove content from their site at our request
- A specific completion date
You're paying for the work and the methodology, not a guaranteed outcome. Most of our engagements reach the agreed objective within the proposal's timeframe. Where results take longer than expected, we'll explain why in our monthly report and continue working through the engagement.
Nothing in these Terms takes away rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law.
3. Timeframe
Your proposal includes an estimated completion timeframe. It's our genuine best estimate based on similar campaigns, but it's an estimate, not a deadline. Things that can extend it include Google algorithm changes, new negative content appearing during the campaign, the strength of the existing negative results, and delays in receiving information from you.
If the campaign is taking longer than expected, we'll explain why in our monthly report.
4. How we'll keep you informed
We'll send you a written status report by email at the end of each month for the duration of your campaign. Each report will show:
- Current Google rankings for your keyphrases
- Current position of each negative result we're targeting
- Work we completed this month
- Work scheduled for next month
If you want a more detailed update at any time, just email info@orma.com.au.
5. Your part
To get the best result, we'll need you to:
- Give us accurate information about yourself and the content we're addressing
- Respond to our requests for input within about a week
- Let us know straight away if new negative content appears
- Not engage another ORM provider on the same content at the same time (their work can interfere with ours)
- Avoid conduct during the campaign that's likely to generate more negative coverage
6. Authority to act for you
You authorise us to act as your reputation advocate. That means we can create content and profiles in your name, use SEO and content techniques to suppress unwelcome content and promote welcome content, and contact third parties (publishers, websites, search engines) on your behalf to request removal where appropriate.
Some of this can have unpredictable side effects, for example a publisher might respond negatively to a removal request. We use our judgement about when and how to make contact.
If there are specific parties you do not want us to approach (for example your employer, your family, or a particular outlet), give us a written list and we'll respect it for the duration of the campaign.
7. Payment
The fees and payment schedule are set out in your proposal. The initial payment, as specified in the payment plan you select in your proposal, is due on signing. For Upfront plans this is the full amount. For Monthly or Milestone plans it is the first scheduled installment.
If a payment is more than 30 days overdue, we may pause work until the account is current, and we reserve the right to terminate under Clause 8.
8. Ending the agreement
Either of us can end this agreement at any time by written notice.
When the agreement ends, we'll send you a final report within 15 days showing:
- The work we completed
- Our earned fee, calculated as the higher of (a) the proportion of the milestones in your proposal that we completed, or (b) the proportion of the engagement timeframe that has elapsed since commencement
- Any refund due to you, or any balance due to us
Refunds are paid within 30 days of the final report. Balances owing to ORMA are due within 30 days of the final report.
9. If something isn't right
If you're unhappy with anything about our service, please email info@orma.com.au first and give us 14 days to look into it and propose a fix. We'd much rather resolve concerns directly than have them escalate.
10. Our liability
To the extent permitted by law, our total liability to you under this agreement is limited to the fees you've paid us. We're not liable for indirect losses like loss of profits, business opportunities, or goodwill.
We're also not liable for things outside our control, such as search engine algorithm changes, the conduct of third-party websites and publishers, or new negative content appearing during your campaign.
Nothing in this clause takes away rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law that can't be excluded.
11. Our content and yours
The methodology, content templates, and materials we use are ours. Content we publish on your behalf in your name (for example on Web 2.0 properties, LinkedIn articles, op-eds, or owned domains we set up for you) is licensed to you for the duration of this agreement and continues to be licensed to you after termination for as long as you remain the authentic subject of that content. We will not request its removal or unpublish it at termination.
Content that we authored or commissioned under our own staff's name, or under our own editorial control, remains ours and may be maintained or updated by us after termination.
You confirm that any materials you give us don't infringe anyone else's intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights.
12. Privacy and confidentiality
We'll keep your information and the existence and terms of our engagement confidential, except where disclosure is required by law or by a regulator, or to professional advisors who are themselves bound by confidentiality. We expect the same from you regarding our methods and the content of our work.
13. Governing law
This agreement is governed by the laws of New South Wales. Any disputes go to courts or tribunals in NSW.
14. Other terms
- These Terms together with your proposal are the whole agreement between us
- If any part of these Terms turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still applies
- We may update these Terms for future engagements; your engagement is governed by the version you signed
- All notices are by email: ours to the address in your proposal, yours to info@orma.com.au