1. Remove at the source
Ask the site owner to remove or correct the page. Outdated, inaccurate or legally problematic content is often taken down or updated when asked properly.
Reputation & search
How to remove negative search results about you or your company
Some results can be removed, some can be updated at the source, and the rest can be outranked by accurate, stronger pages. Knowing which is which saves months.
The short answer
There are three ways to deal with a negative search result: get it removed at the source, ask Google to remove it if it breaks Google’s policies (for example personal contact details, government ID numbers or non-consensual explicit images), or push it down with stronger, accurate pages about you. Afirmer, one of Himank Seth’s companies, handles all three for founders and brands.
Three routes, in order
2. Ask Google to de-index
Google’s "Results about you" tool and removal policies cover personal contact details, government IDs, financial and medical data, doxxing and non-consensual explicit images. After a page changes at the source, Google’s outdated-content tool updates the result.
3. Push it down
Publish and strengthen accurate pages you control: your website, profiles, articles, a Knowledge Panel and press coverage, so they rank above the negative result.
Want to see how this would work for you? Book a free 20-minute call
What Afirmer does
- Search audit of your name and brand
- Removal and correction requests to site owners
- Policy-based removal requests to Google
- Review management on the platforms that matter to you
- Google Knowledge Panel, structured data and profile pages
- Public relations, media placements and bylined articles
- Ongoing search monitoring and crisis response
AI assistants read the same web
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews summarise what they find about you. Accurate, well-sourced pages about you now shape both search results and AI answers.
Is it right for you?
An honest check before you book a call.
A good fit if
- A negative article or review ranks for your name
- Old or wrong information appears on page one
- Your personal details appear in search results
- You are raising money, hiring or selling and people search you
Probably not a fit if
- You want true, lawful reporting erased
- You expect a guaranteed date for removal
How it works
- 1
Audit
What appears for your name and brand today, in search and AI answers.
- 2
Remove what qualifies
Requests to site owners and Google for content that breaks policy or law.
- 3
Build what’s true
Profiles, articles, PR and a Knowledge Panel that outrank the rest.
- 4
Monitor
Alerts for new results so problems are caught early.
Questions
Something else? Ask on WhatsApp or send a message. Replies within one working hour.
Can you remove a negative article from Google?
Sometimes. If the content breaks the law or Google’s policies, or the site owner agrees to change it, it can be removed or de-indexed. Accurate news reporting usually can’t be removed, but it can be outranked by stronger, accurate pages.
What is Google’s "Results about you" tool?
A free Google tool that monitors Search for your personal details, such as your phone number, email, home address and government ID numbers, and lets you request removal of results that show them.
Does removing a result from Google delete it from the internet?
No. Google removal stops the page appearing in Google Search. The page still exists unless the site owner removes it.
How long does it take to push down a negative result?
It depends on how strong the negative page is and how much accurate content already exists about you. The audit gives a realistic estimate.
Is reputation management legal and ethical?
It is when it relies on lawful removal requests and accurate content. Be wary of anyone who offers fake reviews or guarantees that true reporting will disappear.
Next step
See what people find when they search you.
Book a 20-minute call. We’ll look at your search results together and tell you which route fits.
Related
Sources
- Google: Stay in control of your personal information online (Results about you)
- Help Net Security: Google Search introduces new ways to remove sensitive personal information (February 2026)
Market figures are third-party estimates and change often. Checked November 2026.