5 Ways to Remove Negative Information From the Internet

Online reputation is essential for individuals and business owners. 

Unfortunately, negative information about yourself or your company can spread quickly and cause lasting damage. 

Fortunately, you can take steps to remove negative information from the web and protect your online presence.

The Dangers of Negative Content

Nowadays, we are accustomed to staying in touch with friends and family virtually in some form or another.

That surge of being connected can extend beyond social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Without knowing it, you may publicly share information with a friend you wouldn't want everyone to see. 

Content such as sensitive information, unfavorable images, news articles, and more can spread like wildfire. Once this information has been applied, it can be challenging to contain.

So, how can you remove harmful content from the internet? 

Well, there are a few techniques to remove search results successfully. Read on!

Why Does Your Online Reputation Matter?

Your internet reputation speaks for you even before you meet someone for the first time. 

People research many things before purchasing, visiting a business brand, or even meeting someone. With some effort, you can ensure that your online reputation is positive.

Your online business and personal reputation can influence the first impression of some of the most influential people in your life. 

Today, people turn to Google for everything. Search engines have become one of the most trusted sources of information you can turn to for answers.

Hence, your online reputation matters. One piece of harmful content can cause you to miss career opportunities, college admissions, dates, and more. 

How to Remove Something From the Internet?

Here are five proven ways to remove harmful content from the internet.

1. Reach Out to the Source of Negative Content.

The first step in removing negative information from the internet is to contact the person or organization that created the content. They are often willing to work with you and remove the content from their website. 

Alternatively, suppose the source of harmful content is unresponsive. In that case, you can ask third-party hosting services to take it down.

A straightforward approach is frequently the most effective when requesting that an author remove their work. 

The author's email address and social media profiles are typically mentioned on blogs and web pages. Locate these details and write a brief email stating why this post harms your reputation.  

2. Contact Search Engines Directly to De-Index Links.

If removing something from a source does not appear practical or viable, the second option is to ask Google or Bing to extract information from their search results, known as a Google Removal Request. 

Most search engines operate on their algorithms, so you can directly contact them to request the removal of false information. 

You can submit a request for de-indexing with the search engine's support team. In some cases, this will cause the link to disappear from your SERP results and any other listing that may have been associated with it. Make sure to include as much proof as possible when submitting a de-indexing request to ensure a favorable decision.

However, this does not remove the material from the site; it only makes it extremely difficult to discover the content. If it's harder to find, fewer people will see it. Of course, the lower ranking of the site on the search engine also helps in this process.

3. Get the Hosting Company to Remove the Content

If the author refuses to delete the content or you believe it is a terrible idea even to ask, request the webmaster or the publisher of the site hosting the material to delete the page entirely. 

Kindly note that this does not apply to personal blogs because a webmaster, publisher, editor, and author in this scenario are typically the same person. However, it could work for medium-sized sites like local or small-town news sites.

For example, around 43% of websites are hosted on WordPress. The parent company of WordPress, Automattic, will be the decision maker if the content violates their TOS. You can file a report with Automattic if the content should be removed.

You may use a Whois tool such as Whois domain lookup or DomainTools to determine a website owner.

Some research can lead you to the right person. 

4. File a Court Order to Prompt Removal or Correction

Suppose the source of harmful content refuses to comply with your requests. In that case, you can file a court order to prompt removal or correction. Depending on the jurisdiction and the type of content, you may need to use local or federal laws to justify requesting removal. 

Generally, a court order will only be successful if there is a legal basis for why the content should not be displayed.

You can request the site's web admin to delete the search words from the page.

For example, suppose your company name is stated on the page, the page's description (in HTML), and the page's title (in HTML). In that case, the web admin can replace the words so that your business name no longer appears on the website.

For example, suppose you own a corporation called "Anex," and a local newspaper publishes an article titled "Anex CEO Caught Smoking." You can change the headline to "Local CEO Caught Smoking." They would erase any references to the corporation, but the piece would remain on the net.

5. Online Reputation Management (ORM): Proactive Strategies

Taking a proactive approach to online reputation management is crucial. Engage in strategies emphasizing positive content creation and optimization to push negative information down in search engine results. This process, known as search engine optimization (SEO), involves leveraging positive content, such as blog posts, social media profiles, and professional websites, to outrank negative information.

At NewReputation, our ORM experts employ advanced SEO techniques to boost positive content visibility, effectively minimizing the impact of negative information on your online image. We help clients build and maintain a solid online reputation by consistently producing and promoting favorable content.

Seek Professional Help if You Need to Make Progress on Your Own.

If you can't remove negative information from the internet alone, don't hesitate to ask for help. 

A professional online reputation management company specializing in this task may have more expertise and resources than you do. They could provide valuable counsel on navigating the process of removing harmful content from the web.

Suppose you are genuinely looking to remove content for reputation management. In that case, hiring professionals who can do it for you is best. 

New Reputation is one of the leading reputation management firms, providing personalized online reputation management services targeted to your specific branding and goals. We choose and generate the most excellent online content, then connect it utilizing SEO best practices that will last the ravages of time.

To receive a free reputation management proposal, call us at 850-750-0583. We will provide a timeline, cost, and strategy to help you reach your goals.