Founder of Clear View Advantage is helping overlooked businesses earn trust in a search-first world
In towns across New England, some of the most trusted businesses are nearly invisible online.
Their customers know them. Their neighbors refer them. But when a potential customer searches for their services, nothing relevant appears—just outdated listings, missing hours, or no reviews at all. That gap between real-world trust and online presence is costing them business. And most do not know how to fix it.
Amanda McKeen noticed this disconnect after years of working in Online Reputation Management (ORM) at the national level. She had been leading reputation campaigns for executives and high-profile brands, helping them control what showed up about them online. But something closer to home started pulling at her attention.
“While leading high-level reputation campaigns for national clients, I started to see something happening closer to home,” McKeen says. “Local businesses with strong reputations in their communities were almost invisible online. I knew I could help change that.”
She founded Clear View Advantage in Littleton, New Hampshire with one goal: make Online Reputation Management accessible to the small businesses and individuals that need it most.
Redefining Online Reputation Management for Local Impact
McKeen’s approach to Online Reputation Management is practical and proactive. While many associate ORM with crisis response, she sees it as something more foundational—especially for businesses and individuals in rural or underserved areas.
“People think reputation management is just for those in crisis,” she says. “Or they confuse it with marketing. But it is really about how people perceive you and your business before they ever contact you. That first impression happens online now.”
Clear View Advantage helps clients control that impression. McKeen starts with a full audit of a business’s digital presence. From there, she and her team optimize listings, clean up inaccurate search results, improve the website experience, and create content that builds credibility.
But the process is not just technical. It is relational. “She shows up in a way that is genuine, judgment free, and client focused,” one business owner shared. “Her results far exceeded our expectations.”
Why Showing Up Online Still Feels Optional—And Why That Is Changing
In the small towns of Northern New England, many business owners still rely on word of mouth, repeat customers, and a long history of trust. That local reputation matters—but it is no longer enough.
McKeen recently wrote about this reality in a blog post reflecting on both state-level leadership and grassroots visibility. She shared a moment from a recent workshop where business owners were asked, “If you didn’t know you existed, what would you type into Google to find what you offer?”
The room went quiet. Phones came out. One woman found her business at the top of search results. Another frowned—only sellers from out of state appeared for her niche product. A local college advisor appeared on Yelp under the name of a restaurant.
The point landed. As McKeen put it, “A first impression is no longer made when someone walks through the door. It’s made in the instant a search result appears—or doesn’t.”
This disconnect is not about capability or care. It is about visibility. Many businesses in the North Country do excellent work but are simply missing the digital infrastructure needed to be discovered.
Visibility Is Not Just About Marketing—It Is About Readiness
In the wake of recent debates about the North Country’s economic priorities, McKeen’s work offers a local solution with statewide relevance. Whether the focus is tourism, forestry, education, or manufacturing, the common denominator is visibility.
Tourism is one of the largest economic drivers in the region. New Hampshire’s Division of Travel and Tourism forecasts nearly $2.6 billion in spending for the season. But if individual businesses are not findable, that forecasted traffic will not benefit them. A bed and breakfast without recent reviews, a farm stand with no photos, a guide service with no website—these are not just missed opportunities. They are invisible offerings in a highly visible economy.
“Think of our region like a quilt,” McKeen wrote. “Each business’s online presence is a square. Strong, visible squares create a pattern people want to wrap themselves in. Missing or frayed squares leave gaps. Too many gaps, and visitors—and dollars—drift elsewhere.”
That principle applies across industries. Visibility signals readiness. And when potential customers, partners, or even investors search online, what they find—or do not—shapes whether they choose to engage.
Educating Business Owners on the Value of Showing Up
Many of McKeen’s clients are successful by traditional standards. But their visibility has not kept pace with how today’s customers make decisions.
To address that, she regularly leads workshops and training sessions for business owners who are new to digital visibility. At a recent event hosted by the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce, she spoke on the topic Beyond Word of Mouth: Building and Protecting Your Digital Reputation.
“Amanda McKeen of Clear View Advantage shared her expertise on how to take control of your online presence,” the Chamber reported. “She explained how a reputation is no longer just about what people say in person. It is about what they see online.”
That shift—from personal referrals to search engine impressions—can be hard to navigate. McKeen helps her clients bridge that gap with clarity and strategy.
What Rural America Can Do Right Now
While state leaders debate long-term economic strategy, McKeen points to immediate, tangible steps local business owners can take:
● Claim and update your Google Business Profile
● Keep hours and contact information consistent across platforms
● Post recent photos of your space or products
● Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative
● Use keywords that match what people are actually searching for
“These actions are not complex,” McKeen says. “But they make a difference. They are how we welcome customers in 2025.”
She compares this work to sweeping a porch or repainting a sign. “You don’t do it for show. You do it because it tells people you’re open, active, and worth visiting.”
Visibility as Empowerment
McKeen measures success through three outcomes: page one search rankings, increased inquiries, and renewed client confidence. But the motivation behind her work is personal.
“Much of my life I grew up feeling unseen, overlooked, and like an underdog,” she says. “Once I figured out how to change that, I wanted to help others around me who feel the same way.”
That philosophy drives her work with Clear View Advantage. A Google listing with correct hours. A business owner’s face on their website. A short video that shows the real, human story behind the service. These are not marketing tricks. They are trust signals.
“People today are looking online for connection,” McKeen says. “This work helps your future customers feel like they already know you when they find you. That builds trust before they ever walk through your door.”
As one client put it, “Amanda is providing the North Country with such an incredibly valuable service. Her expertise has helped our organization get to the next level.”
About Amanda McKeen and Clear View Advantage
Clear View Advantage is an Online Reputation Management (ORM) firm founded by Amanda McKeen and based in Littleton, New Hampshire. The company helps businesses and individuals across New England and beyond show up online with clarity, credibility, and confidence so the right people can find and trust them.
McKeen brings years of experience in digital strategy and reputation management, guiding businesses of all sizes from local startups to international brands on how to present themselves online. That global perspective now fuels her work through Clear View Advantage, bringing the same level of expertise to small-town businesses that are often overlooked.
McKeen has a passion for helping values-driven businesses thrive in the digital age. By combining trusted local voices with strategic online visibility, Clear View Advantage gives small-town businesses the recognition and reach they deserve.
