How Do I Remove News Articles From Google?
When negative news articles about you or your business appear in top search results, they can
wreak havoc on your reputation. This is especially true if they come from a reputable news
source. Online reputation management experts work every day to help clients get unflattering articles
removed from Google searches. To start, document all of the negative articles that show up for
your name or company.
1. Search for the Article
When negative news articles appear in the top results for searches related to your brand, it can
have a significant impact on your online reputation and business. Thankfully, there are steps you
can take to bury this type of content.
The first step is to understand why the article is so high in search results. To do this, you need to
know what keywords people are using when they Google your name or company. This will help
you identify which keywords to target in your ORM campaign.
Once you have identified the keywords, you can try to get the news article removed by contacting
the publisher directly. However, this isn’t always easy. Many publishers don’t honor takedown
requests, especially if they believe the content is false or violates privacy. In addition, most news
publications are syndicated across the web, making it difficult to fully remove the article.
If you can’t convince the publisher to remove the article, you can ask Google to do so. This is
more effective than trying to get the individual publisher to remove the article, but it’s still not
easy. In fact, Google receives tens of thousands of content removal requests every day, and
most are unsuccessful. That’s why it’s important to have an ORM expert on your side when
attempting to remove an article from search results.
Depending on how recent the negative news article is, you may be able to wait for it to fall off the
top of search results. This is because Google prioritizes new content when determining search
engine rankings. However, if you’re not able to wait for the content to expire, you can always
contact the publisher or Google directly and ask them to remove it.
Although it is possible to remove a negative news article from search results, the most effective
approach is to bury it with positive content. This can be done through an ORM campaign that
targets negative news articles that are affecting your brand’s reputation and replaces them with
optimized content that pushes them to the second page of Google search results.
2. Reach Out
Before the internet, negative news articles were circulated in the media and then discarded. In
the modern world of the web, however, news articles can be published online in perpetuity and
can have a devastating effect on your reputation. If the article in question is false, misleading,
defamatory or unverified, it can be removed from Google search results by reaching out to the
publisher and asking them to take down the post. This process is known as unpublishing. This is
a complex and time-consuming method of removing negative news articles from Google, but it
can be an effective one if you follow a few key rules.
The first rule is to make sure you don’t contact the publication or journalist in a threatening
manner. This will hurt your chances of success and could potentially result in the article getting
republished. Instead, approach the news publication or journalist with a polite and professional
email, explaining why you would like to see the article removed from search results. It is also
important to document all the websites and platforms on which the negative article appears. This
will help you build a case for its removal in the event that the publisher denies your request.
If the publisher does not agree to remove the article from search results, it is still possible to use
a complaint form to ask Google to do so. This form is located at Google’s Content Removal Tool,
and you will need to be logged into a Gmail account to access it.
Once you have a list of all the sites and publications where the negative article is appearing, it’s
time to write your letter of complaint. Remember to be specific and factual, and provide any
evidence you can offer that the article violates the Google Content Guidelines. You can also find
additional resources and information on how to submit a Content Removal Request here.
If you’re unable to get the negative article removed from Google, an ORM campaign can help to
suppress it deeper in search results, so that it’s no longer as prominently displayed. This can be
a great option for those who want to avoid the risk of having the article come up in searches, but
are not quite ready to hire an attorney to file a lawsuit.
3. Contact Google
A quick chat with an online reputation management expert or even an attorney to
assess your chances of success before you go down this road. You will want to find out if the
article violates any of Google’s Terms of Service or Content Policies, such as publishing sensitive
financial information, personal attacks, offensive images or videos, or any other factors that could
lead to a negative impact on your business and reputation.
You will also need to know how much damage the article has done to your business so far, and
what you have been doing to counteract it. The best way to do this is to document each negative
news article with the URL and its search ranking. This will help you get organized and prioritize
your removal efforts.
The next step is to try to reach out to the publisher and journalist in a non-threatening manner,
and offer them an opportunity to correct or remove the story from their site. This will increase
your chances of getting the article removed if you do it in a respectful manner. However, it’s
important to understand that this is a difficult and time-consuming process.
If you have been unable to convince the publisher to remove the article, another option is to
contact Google directly and ask them to "de-index" the article. This will prevent the article from
showing up on Google search results, but it will still exist on other websites across the internet.
It’s an effective solution to a damaging article that wont be removed by the publisher.
Negative news articles are hard to overcome, and they can wreak havoc on your business. They
drive customers away, damage your reputation and credibility, and can stall your growth. A single
damaging article can damage your reputation for years to come, and it’s critical to take steps to
protect yourself and your brand from them.
Getting negative articles removed from Google can be challenging, but it is possible. If you work
with an online reputation management company like WebiMax, they can help you remove or
suppress negative content from the internet, including news articles. They can also help you
create fresh, positive content to boost your visibility in search results and put the bad press in the
background.
4. Ask the Publisher to Remove the Article
It’s not possible to remove an article from the publisher’s website, but you can try to convince
them to alter the post. If you can get them to change the headline or remove your name, it will
rank much lower in search results and be less visible.
You may also be able to get the publisher to de-index the story, so that it still exists but isn’t listed
on Google. This is a good option for both parties, as it allows them to maintain journalistic
integrity while keeping the negative content off of Google.
When you’re trying to remove a news article, it’s important to be patient and respectful. Often,
publications will want to investigate the facts before agreeing to remove the article, so be
prepared to wait a while. Also, don’t threaten them – this will only hurt your chances of getting the
article removed.
If the publication won’t remove the article, you can try contacting Google to ask them to remove
it. However, this is unlikely to work unless the article is false or misleading. You’ll also need to
provide a lot of evidence that the article is violating Google’s policies, which can be difficult.
Removing a negative news article can be a long process, but it’s important to take the steps
necessary to protect your reputation and business. By following the tips in this blog, you can
improve your chances of removing the article and restoring your online reputation.
