Though the Internet and social media have made the world a glasshouse, it also comes with their downsides.
It only takes one bad post from an angry client, an angry ex, or a disgruntled employee to kill the reputation you have worked so hard to build.
If you want to learn how to bury negative Google search results, we will show you the right steps for successful suppression.
What are “Negative” Search Results?
Negative search results are content displayed on the internet that negatively affects your reputation.
These results can also have an impact on your career goals.
If you have seen negative search results appear recently, you should start taking action immediately before the information spreads.
- Court records
- Arrest records
- Home address
- Bad reviews
- Opinion articles
These types of negative search results show up on Google every day.
If you are not proactive in managing your online reputation, you are susceptible to an attack online.
A small argument can turn into an online crisis.
Even worse, the content doesn't even have to be true.
With the rise of Mugshot websites and user-generated content platforms, the internet has become the Wild West of defamation.
To learn how to bury negative Google search results, you need to start being very active online.
It takes a lot of time, effort, and consistency.
So if your time is valuable, we recommend you hire a reputation management company.
This post will focus on helping people push down harmful content about them on Google search results.
It is a strategy for online reputation repair, so equipping yourself with this knowledge is important for protecting your digital legacy.
Acknowledge The Problem
The only way to tackle a problem is to accept that it exists.
Most brands don't have the time to focus the necessary attention on reputation management.
But one way or another, it comes to haunt them in the future. Once the results reach the first page, you are playing defense.
If you fail to address the main issue that caused the problem, you will be doing yourself more harm.
Investigate The Problem
The next step is to find out what caused the problem. That way, you can find out how to deal with it. Also, it will help you avoid having a reputation crisis in the future.
To get ahead of the problem, your PR team has to investigate deeply; this will help you find out what caused the problem. Then you can set communication plans in place to address the issue.
Create an action plan to address the issue.
The most successful reputation recovery stories have featured companies leaning into and embracing their problems.
Ok… We screwed up.
When KFC ran out of chicken in 2018, they handled the problem well. From a corporate perspective, KFC held admitted fault, said sorry, and delivered frequent messages across multiple channels declaring their commitment to fixing their relationships with their customers.
This was a smart move, but the customers were not satisfied.
More was needed.
What wasn’t clear was how they would make this mistake and win over their customers again. It was a trending social media story, landing right in front of many of their customers and filled with funny memes.
KFC turned their problem into an opportunity to show they were human. Even big brands make mistakes. Once they admitted their faults and embraced the mistake, they were able to mend the relationships with customers and the damage to their brand.
KFC even leaned into the fun with some clever and engaging social media posts poking fun at their blunder.
Can Negative Content Be Removed From The Internet?
You must consider if facing the issue head-on will be better than removing search results out rightly.
Getting an article removed will not stop other people from expressing their opinions.
Contact the website owner with a non-emotional email outreach requesting the content be removed or have a "no-follow" tag inserted in the webpage or image.
The website owner has no reason to help aside from being a reasonable person. For the most part, news publications will take the stance that they can not change history. This is because if they removed your article then everyone would be reaching out and asking to remove an article. Sending a generic pre-written response stating their policy for removal requests is easier for them.
Adding a layer of protection with new positive content is the best defense.
How to bump Google search results down
1) Claim your name domain
Grab your brand name on a domain provider like Godaddy. Try to get the .com domain if it is available.
Once you have purchased your name domain, you can set up your website using one of the many website builders.
Keep in mind that you will need to pay for hosting to get your website up and running. This will cost between $5-$20/per month. If you don't have any money, utilize a free website domain.
- WordPress
- Weebly
- MyStrikingly
- About.me
Make sure you claim your name:
Example: yourname.wordpress.com
2) Create professional profiles
Start by creating profiles on the most powerful social media sites that rank quickly.
Optimize the profiles by filling out all the relevant information including your career and educational background.
Social media profiles are a trusted source of information that Google favors. This “low-hanging fruit” is a great way to get new content showing in your search results.
3) Focus on your name and location
Optimize your profiles around the keywords you want to rank on the first page of Google.
Example: "John Smith of Indiana Arrested"
Keyword: John Smith Indiana
Change your public profile from the generic URL that is provided by Facebook and LinkedIn to the keyword you want to bump down on Google.
4) Link the profiles together
Create backlinks to each of your profiles. This will let Google know that it is all the same person and this is relevant information for that keyword.
The Google algorithm can read certain things:
- Backlinks
- Keywords
- Metadata
- Alt text
To make it easier for them, link all the profiles together.
If your desired name is already taken, choose the closest possible match.
5) Start Blogging
Your search results are keyword driven. By focusing your articles on the keywords you want to rank for, you can
- Replace outdated content
- Build links to the pages that matter most.
- Utilize high authority domains for free
To get started, you can utilize a number of free blogging platforms. We recommend using Medium at the beginning. This tends to rank quickly and they allow users to choose a custom name domain.
You can also use platforms like:
Make sure you choose a platform where you can remain consistent. A set-it-and-forget-it plan will not display in search results.
6) Publish Videos
Google’s algorithm is constantly updating for the best user experience. Video is changing the way people learn about brands.
In fact, 66% of consumers would rather watch a video than read it to learn more about a brand.
This means that if you want to push down search results on Google, you need to utilize videos in your strategy.
We recommend using YouTube to publish videos.
YouTube tends to rank the highest in search results. It also shows up the fastest. Typically as soon as you publish your first video.
You can also take advantage of other free video platforms such as:
- Vimeo
- DailyMotion
- Twitch
- TikTok
For suppressing content, we recommend using YouTube followed by Vimeo.
7) Optimize Sitemaps
Sitemaps make help you take up more real estate in search results. These are links to other important pages on your website.
You can use a plugin like Yoast SEO in WordPress to fetch the sitemap. Then submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
8) Optimize Review Sites
Testimonials rank high in search results!
Anyone with a website can sign up for a Trustpilot or Sitejabber account.
Reach out to people that have experience working with you and ask them to leave a review. Keep in mind that you need to address any current reputation crisis before utilizing this strategy.
9) Use Google Ads
Google ads can help you push down any negative search results.
While you are utilizing SEO strategies to create new positive results, you can start a Google advertising campaign for the keywords you want to target.
Once you start an advertising campaign, they will jump straight to the top of results.
Keep in mind that this is a temporary strategy. Once you stop paying, your negative content will be moved up in results.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to suppress negative Google search results, you can get started managing your online reputation.
This process does not happen overnight and takes consistency to bury search results.
If you have a full-time job, it is overwhelming to
- Learn how SEO works
- Create amazing content
- Develop a content schedule
- Stay active on social media
- Discover new opportunities to build your personal brand
- Monitor what the internet is saying about you
NewReputation makes these tasks easy.
We create custom strategies 100% tailored to your overall goals. You work closely with a dedicated reputation manager and we utilize our knowledge of search engines to build your brand.
Stop worrying about negative content. Bury them for good with NewReputation.
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