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5 Ways to Remove Negative Information From the Internet

Jun 16, 2021 12:03:27 PM

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

 

The Dangers of Negative Content

 

In this day and age, 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 even knowing it, you may share some information publicly with a friend that 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 spread, it can be very difficult to contain.

 

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

 

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

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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 making a purchase, visiting a business brand, or even meeting a person. That said, with some effort, you can ensure that your online reputation is positive.

 

Your online business and personal reputation have the potential to influence the first impression of some of the most important 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. Just one piece of negative content can cause you to miss out on career opportunities, college admissions, dates, and more. 

 

How to Remove Something From the Internet?

 

Here are 5 proven ways to remove negative 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. In many cases, you may find that they are willing to work with you and remove the content from their website. 

 

Alternatively, if the source of negative content is unresponsive, you can reach out to third-party hosting services and ask them to take it down.

 

When requesting that an author remove their work, a straightforward approach is frequently the most effective. 

 

The author's email address and social media profiles are typically mentioned on blogs and web pages. Locate these details and write them a brief email stating why this post is harming 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 remove information from their search results, known as a Google Removal Request. 

 

Most search engines operate on their own 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 discover, 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 to even 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, such as 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 is in violation of their TOS. You can file a report with Automattic if you believe the content should be removed.

 

To determine a website owner, you may use a Whois tool such as Whois domain lookup or DomainTools.

 

Some research can lead you to the right person. 

 

4.   File a Court Order to Prompt Removal or Correction

 

If the source of negative content refuses to comply with your requests, then 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 as justification for 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 webmaster of the site to delete the search words from the page.

 

For example, if your company name is stated on the page, as well as the page's description (in HTML) and/or the page's title (also in HTML), the webmaster 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 with the heading "Anex CEO Caught Smoking." You can request that the headline be changed to something like "Local CEO Caught Smoking." They would erase any references to the corporation, but the piece would remain on the net.

 

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

 

Most search engines operate on their own 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.

 

Seek Professional Help if You’re Not Making Progress on Your Own.

 

If you can’t seem to remove negative information from the internet on your own, don’t hesitate to ask for help. 

 

A professional online reputation management company that specializes in this task may have more expertise and resources than you do. They could provide valuable counsel on how to navigate the process of getting negative content removed from the web.

 

If you are truly looking to remove content for reputation management, it’s best to hire professionals who can do it for you. 

 

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 greatest 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.

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