Wikipedia is the Internet’s foremost encyclopedia. It has countless pages, each called a wiki and written by a myriad of voluntary writers. So why would you need to be listed in an online encyclopedia or have a Wikipedia page? The answer is that search engines tend to bring up Wikipedia data first, so it provides web users with their initial impression of you or your business, whether good or bad.
Having a wiki page is essential if you want to manage your online reputation, however not everyone or every business qualifies for one. As you would expect in an encyclopedia, only prominent individuals or businesses that are truly notable are included. This means you need to be a public figure or your organisation must be making a significant contribution to society.
Wikipedia is not an “advertising platform or vanity press”. It contains free information that anybody can access and anybody can edit. The site aims to provide content that is written from a “neutral point of view” and backed up by reliable external sources. So should you qualify for a Wikipedia page, your entry would need to be expertly constructed and monitored as it will be under ongoing scrutiny.
How to get on Wikipedia or monitor your page
Individuals or organisations should not create Wikipedia pages for themselves. Pages should be initiated by independent parties who understand how the online encyclopedia works and who will draft information that is factual and attribute each statement to a reliable source. This is essential if the information is going to survive in the long term.
If you have a Wikipedia page, anyone writing about you or your business will probably end up using some information from it. This could include negative or inaccurate content. So it’s essential to monitor your page on an ongoing basis to ensure it represents you or your organisation fairly.
If you would like more information about whether or not you or your organisation qualify for a Wikipedia page or to discuss getting one set up, Al Gibson will do his best to assist you. You can email him at al@countdowncreative.co.uk.
