Unwanted Google search results, whether they’re negative reviews, outdated information or irrelevant content, can harm your online reputation. They influence how individuals perceive you or your business and can negatively impact your professional image.
Fortunately, there are ways to remove Google results effectively. In this guide, we’ll discuss why you should remove Google search results and provide tips on how to remove search results from Google.
Topics covered include:
• Why You Should Hide Unwanted Results of Google Search
• Common Reasons To Remove Results from Google Search
• How To Remove Results From Google Search
Why You Should Hide Unwanted Results of Google Search
Negative results related to your business can influence potential customers’ purchasing decisions. A report by PowerReviews shows that almost 100% of customers read reviews before shopping online – 96% of which look for negative reviews specifically.
Beyond that, taking action to delete Google search results allows you to:
Protect Your Online Reputation
Your online reputation can shape perceptions about your brand. It’s what potential customers see when they search for your brand, and it can make or break their decision to do business with your brand.
Increase Customer Trust
If potential customers come across negative reviews or irrelevant content online, they may question the credibility of your business. Removing unwanted Google search results helps build trust with potential customers and proves your reliability.
Improve SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for businesses aiming to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Negative content can affect your SEO by pushing your positive results further down the page. When you delete Google search results or hide unwanted results of Google search, you improve your chances of appearing at the top of search results.
Common Reasons To Remove Results From Google Search
From outdated information to defamatory content, there are several reasons why you may want to remove results from Google Search. These include:
Legal Compliance
When content breaches local laws or regulations, businesses can request to remove Google results. Google strives to balance information accessibility with legal compliance.
For example, if a page contains copyrighted material without proper licensing, rights holders can notify Google to delete Google search results or hide unwanted results of Google search. Conversely, Google will automatically identify and remove Google search content, such as child sex abuse material.
Highly Personal Content
Businesses may seek to remove Google results that contain highly personal information, such as financial data, intimate imagery without consent, medical records and government-issued IDs.
Such content poses risks such as identity theft, prompting Google to allow individuals to request the removal of these unwanted Google search results.
Outdated Information
When business details change (e.g., permanent closure, relocation or rebranding), outdated search results can mislead customers. Google allows the removal of such results, provided the business can prove that the information is no longer accurate.
Inappropriate Content
In some cases, content may be harmful or inappropriate but not illegal. This could include negative reviews, malicious rumors, false information or personal attacks. While these types of content may not be subject to legal removal, they can still significantly impact a business’s reputation and should be removed.
Defamatory Content
Defamatory content like false statements can cause reputational damage. If you encounter defamatory content on Google Search, you have the option to request its removal through legal takedown requests.
Up Next: Learn six ways how to remove something from search results to save your online reputation.
How To Remove Results From Google Search
Now that you understand the importance of managing your Google search results, here are some steps to effectively remove results from Google search:
1. Contact the Website Owner
If the unwanted result is on a third-party website, reach out to the website owner and request that the content be removed. Provide a clear and polite explanation of why you want the content taken down, and most website owners will comply.
When drafting your request, include a link to the specific page and the reason for your request. Use a professional and respectful tone, as this is more likely to get a positive response.
2. Submit a Legal Removal Request
You can submit a legal removal request to Google if the website owner doesn’t comply or the content is illegal. This process involves filling out an online form and proving why the content should be removed.
Google is inclined to remove the content if it violates its content policies in any of the following ways:
• Involuntary fake pornography: Images and videos that have been altered to include an individual’s likeness without their consent.
• Nude or sexually explicit content: Content containing graphic sexual acts or exposed private parts.
• Personal information: Content that contains sensitive personal information, such as government IDs or financial numbers.
• Non-explicit images of minors: This includes non-explicit photos of children in sexually suggestive situations.
• Hacked content: Contains stolen or hacked information, such as private photos or confidential documents.
• Personally identifying information: Content that reveals personally identifying information, such as names, addresses or contact information.
If your content meets Google’s removal requirements, use their streamlined form to request a removal.
Source: Google Support
Submit your request through this form for legal content removal requests, such as court orders, copyright infringements, trademark violations or law breaches.
Source: Google Support
Once your request is submitted, you will receive an automated email confirmation. Google will then review your request, taking into account the criteria specified in each category mentioned earlier, as well as factors such as public interest. If further information is necessary, Google may reach out to you to request it.
Once the review process is complete, you will be notified of the action taken. This may include:
• Content meeting removal policies, leading to the removal of URLs containing it.
• Content not meeting removal requirements, accompanied by a brief explanation.
If your request is denied, you can resubmit it with additional supporting materials.
3. Utilize Google’s Removals Tool
The Removals tool can be accessed through Google Search Console. This tool enables you to temporarily eliminate pages from search results for websites under your ownership.
Source: Semrush
Content will be removed from search results for 180 days using the Removals tool, giving you time to make permanent changes to your site. Take note that this tool is for temporary removals only and may not solve all search content management issues.
If learning how to remove a website from Google search results is your goal, take one of the following actions:
• Revise or refresh the content on your page. This method offers a reliable way to prevent your information from being displayed on search engines that may not honor the “noindex” directive. It also ensures that unauthorized individuals cannot view your page.
• Secure your page with a password. By restricting access to your page, you allow only authorized users to view it while preventing search engine bots like Googlebot from indexing it.
• Apply a “noindex” tag to your page. This tag exclusively blocks your page from appearing in Google search results. However, users and other search engines that do not support the “noindex” directive can still access your page.
When Should You Use the Removals Tool?
Google recommends using the Removals tool in these cases:
• If you need to quickly eliminate a web page from search on a Google Search Console property (e.g., website) that you own.
• When you have updated a page on your website to remove sensitive/important content, you wish for Google to promptly reflect this in search results.
4. Send Feedback to Google
If the search results do not violate any of Google’s policies but still want them removed, you can provide feedback to Google. This is especially useful if you want to remove Google search with negative reviews and comments.
To do this, click the three dots next to the URL.
Click the Feedback button.
Describe your feedback, including why you believe the content should be removed. Provide evidence by attaching a screenshot possible, and Submit.
Google will review your feedback and take appropriate action. This may include ignoring the input, removing snippets from specific pages or adjusting algorithms to prevent similar results from appearing in the future.
5. Bury the Result With Quality Content
If the unwanted content is on a third-party website you cannot control, creating and promoting quality content is one way to manage it. This will push down unwanted results on Google’s SERPs, making them less visible to people searching for you.
Some ways to create positive content include:
• Optimizing your social media profiles and ensuring they rank high on search results.
• Creating a personal website with an active blog or portfolio.
• Writing guest posts on authoritative websites in your industry.
• Utilizing SEO techniques to improve the ranking of existing positive pages about you.
By consistently creating and promoting quality content, you can bury and even replace negative results on Google. This method requires time and effort but can have a long-lasting impact on your reputation.
6. Hire an Online Reputation Management Service
If you don’t have the time or resources to manage your online presence, consider hiring an online reputation management (ORM) agency. Aside from helping you monitor and review your online presence, they can also help with:
• Removing harmful or irrelevant content from various websites.
• Monitoring and responding to online reviews and comments.
• Creating and promoting positive content about you or your brand.
• Implementing SEO strategies to improve search rankings.
• Providing ongoing reputation management and crisis management support.
Maintaining a spotless reputation is an ongoing process, and ORM services can help you stay on top of it. However, be sure to research and choose a reliable agency before hiring one.
Maintain a Flawless Online Reputation With Thrive Local
Learning how to remove something from Google search is just a band-aid solution. Eventually, the bad press will catch up to you and cause irreversible damage to your online reputation. This can result in missed job opportunities, lost clients and even strained personal relationships.
Don’t let this happen to you. Take control of your digital footprint with Thrive Local’s expert online reputation management services.
With easy-to-use management software, Thrive Local can help you monitor, manage and protect your online presence. Our ORM expert specializes in pushing down negative search results and promoting positive content to enhance your online reputation.
Contact us today to learn more about how to remove something from Google search results and maintain an impeccable online reputation.
