Before a candidate knocks on their first door or gives their first speech, there’s one place voters are already forming opinions: the Google search bar.
In today’s media environment, online perception often precedes—and in many cases, overrides—everything else a campaign may carefully craft. Whether someone is running for city council or a congressional seat, the first page of Google has become the new public square.
And it’s not always a fair one.
From long-forgotten business filings to blog posts taken out of context, many political hopefuls are discovering that their past—accurate or not—is already being shaped for them, often by their opponents.
That’s where companies like Intellicate are changing the game. Their core focus is something most campaigns ignore until it’s too late: preemptive digital reputation strategy. By offering reputation management for political candidates, Intellicate helps clients reshape the narrative before it becomes a headline—or worse, a viral attack ad.
Intellicate’s founder and principal strategist, Gregory Graf, has seen how quickly things can unravel. “We’ve had clients who were hit with misleading stories that originated from a Reddit thread,” Graf says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s true. If it ranks on Google, it becomes the story.”
Graf brings more than two decades of digital strategy experience, advising Fortune 500 executives, startup founders, and a growing number of political campaigns. His work in SEO and crisis management has made him a go-to resource for candidates looking to stay ahead of the next digital ambush.
Intellicate offers a different kind of crisis PR: a full-service approach to visibility, credibility, and control. Their team audits every link associated with a candidate’s name, identifies content that could be weaponized, and builds a network of accurate, trusted, and search-optimized content that tells a more complete and compelling story.
And for candidates in smaller, lower-budget races, the stakes are even higher. A single negative article can dominate local coverage and derail momentum in down-ballot elections. Graf’s team helps these candidates build what he calls a “digital firewall”—a buffer of verified, voter-friendly content that keeps baseless attacks in the background.
“Politics has always been about message control,” Graf notes. “The difference now is that search engines, not press conferences, are where that control begins.”
In an era where a viral screenshot can eclipse a year of public service, reputation management is no longer an afterthought. It’s campaign infrastructure. And firms like Intellicate are making sure candidates understand that protecting their online presence isn’t just a safeguard—it’s a winning strategy.
About Intellicate
Founded in Eagle, Idaho, Intellicate is a reputation management and digital strategy firm that provides discreet, high-impact services to political candidates, executives, and professionals facing online scrutiny. The firm is best known for its work in reputation management for political campaigns, helping campaigns build search credibility and protect against digital attacks.
Intellicate was founded by Gregory Graf, a political strategist and SEO expert with over 20 years of experience in campaign messaging, crisis management, and search engine optimization. Graf has helped shape digital reputations for public figures across politics, business, and advocacy.
