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How to delete negative search results about you in Google?

A Nightmare on Google Street

Over the past 5 years Google has emerged as the undisputed king of the search engine world, all but rendering Yahoo, and Bling irrelevant.  Google has evolved from a mere Internet search engine, to an unregulated verification service. Everyone from hiring managers to prospective customers is now turning to Google in order to research a person of interest.

While many consumer rights group applauded Google for its ability to provide archived information on businesses and contractors, at the same time many right to privacy groups are screaming foul.

I recently received a called from a client who was very angry about an entry that was appearing in the search results in Google under his name. The major problem is none of the information was true, and even worst it was submitted to Google by one of his competitors. While on the phone with the client I Googled his name and there is was on the first line, Rip-Off Report!

To make matters even worst, the actual complaint that was submitted to Google by his competitor. The Rip-Off Report was written in a way that would have totally destroyed any opportunity for future business for my client. The Rip off Report was submitted in a fake name with no contact information to even dispute or resolve the complaint.

Now I am all for notifying the general public of businesses and individuals that are out to rip off innocent consumers, this is not where I have an issue with Google. The major issue is when you have a legitimate business man who is under attack from a competitor without anyway of dispelling or revealing the truth. This is the worst case scenario for a business owner, especially if the business involves contracts.

I explained to the client that complaining to Google is an immense waste of time and his best option is definitely Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM). Google has become such a monster that if you are victimized by them your only recourse is to employ a similar strategy in order to offset the damage to your reputation.

Google is less than likely to remove a negative item from search results; the good news is I was able to remove all of the negative information from the first page listed under my client's name. I stayed active with his file until I was able to get the item pushed down to the middle of the 10th page. A recent study show that 93% of people who have googled your name will except the first page results as factual.

If you have negative items appearing on the first page of Google then we invite you to please visit our website for more information on how to protect your online reputation.