Last Updated on February 15, 2021 by Bright Past
If you have done a recent Google search for either yourself or your company, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the results, and you are not alone. Over 50 percent of adults say they have found negative items about themselves after a search. Since 83 percent of people believe what they see on the internet over what they are told personally, a poor search result can have a very big impact on your life and livelihood. This is why acting to remove Google results as soon as possible is so important. The longer they stay up, the more problems they create. The following tips will help with reputation control.
Create Social Media Accounts
Even if you are not a social media user, creating accounts in your name or the name of your business will help you to control the narrative. Google assigns high rankings to social media accounts because they are very popular. By making accounts that you have full control over, you can start building a strong and positive online presence that will get you in the top search results. This will also work to suppress negative results and exile them to page two or even page three. Very few people look beyond the first page, which is why this strategy is so powerful.
Be an Active Commenter
Social media will give you the means to participate in conversations, which will attach your name to respected sources. This gives Google even more to work with to push down negative search results. Be thoughtful in your discussions, and do not post when you are emotional. Always check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that what you are saying is true. Do not insult anyone for any reason because it could stick forever.
Link Your Social Media Accounts and Website
When you link to your website from your social media profiles, it creates a powerful weapon to place your positive content higher in the search engines while suppressing the negative items. You should also link to your social media from your website as well to complete the circle. Doing this simple step is one of the best ways to remove Google results that are doing harm to your reputation.
Remove the Results You Control
If you have any old online profiles that contain offensive content or media, you can simply login and delete the accounts, or at least remove the problematic material. While the links may remain on Google for a while longer, the content itself will not load if someone tries to view it. For content that you do not control, you can request that it be removed, especially if the site has a privacy policy. This process could take weeks or even months, and in some cases, there may be no response at all, or you may have to pay a fee to get the content removed.
Buy Your Personal Domain
This can be your name, the name of your business or both. Having your own domain will help you to build trust with the public. If you add a blog, keep it updated with quality content and be sure to comment on other blogs in your niche to build meaningful backlinks and positive relationships. It can also be helpful to buy domains that match any negative nicknames as this will keep other people from using them. Hire a professional designer to make your website as attractive and optimized as possible.
When you need to remove Google results, the experienced staff at BrightPast is ready to help. Visit the website or call 800-921-9704 for more information.