Remove Negative News Articles From Search Engines
Have you “Googled” your name (or company) recently only to be shocked to find a negative news article ranking on the first page of Google search results?
Why negative news articles rank highly in Google search results
It takes years for individuals and companies to build a rock-solid reputation and only days for one negative news article on the web to bring it all tumbling down. When negative news is published online, there is a high probability it will rank on the first page of search results for your name. You may be wondering why this is happening, especially if the negative news article is ranking above other web properties that have existed for years. There are 3 main reasons why this occurs:
1. Clicks: The #1 search ranking factor in 2023, is the number of clicks a specific link gets over time. Generally speaking, the more clicks a link gets, the higher it will rank in search results. When people search for your name or business, they are much more likely to click the negative news article (than say your website or LinkedIn profile), which causes it to rank higher in search results.
2. Domain Authority: Every site on the Internet has a certain level of “trust” or “domain authority” on Google. The higher a site’s domain authority, the higher the site ranks in search results. The majority of news related websites are highly trusted by Google, which is one of the reasons why negative news articles can quickly make their way to the top of search results.
3. “Virality”/Links: It is not uncommon for a negative news article to go “viral” due to social sharing sites and other blogs/forums/etc. re-publishing the story. When other sites link to the original negative article, it signals to Google that the article must be of value to users, and should rank highly in search results.
Suppressing negative news articles on Google (if removal fails, or is not a possibility)
There are a number of strategies and tactics to suppress a negative article, such as:
- Setting up high ranking web 2.0 profiles and keeping them active
- Starting a personal or company blog and posting high quality, optimized content
- Publishing press releases on high ranking web properties
- Publishing other types of media, like videos, interviews, podcasts, etc.
- Optimizing content you already own (i.e your LinkedIn profile)
- Becoming a guest poster on credible third-party websites
Your options for removing negative news articles from Google
If you currently find yourself dealing with a negative news article ranking highly on Google, there are three ways to remove the negative link from search results:
1. Complete Removal: If the editor or admin of a news site agrees to completely remove the article, the associated link will also be removed from search results. This is the ideal scenario and the first option we look into when helping our clients. If a site removes an article completely, a “404 page” will appear as seen below:
2. De-Indexing: If a negative news story is de-indexed, it means that the link associated with the story will be completely removed from search engine results. The main issue with the negative news article is not necessarily the fact that it exists, but rather the fact that it is highly visible in search results. In most instances, having the link to the negative article de-indexed, is just as good of an outcome as complete removal.
3. Redaction: In rare instances, a news publication will agree to redact (remove) your name from a negative news story. This is more likely to happen in situations where you are not the main focus of the article, or if you were the victim of a crime, and the news article discussing the incident ranks highly in search results for your name. If your name is redacted from the news article, the link associated with the article will be removed from search results with time.
Remove Article from Search Engine
Start from
$1350/article
- Costs are based on the time and legal fees
- Deleting Cost Range $1350-$10000
- Removal service is guaranteed
What Our Clients Say
- Francis Reese Melbourne, VICWe’ve worked with them for countless social media verification cases and they've always delivered. Glad we found Fresh Engagements
- Sonia Stephens Toronto, CanadaServices are one thing, but the team at Fresh Engagements is super attentive and knowledgeable. It’s great working with them.
- Larry Hayes San Jose, CAI’ve worked with a lot of social media marketing agencies in the past, but these guys are the real deal!
- Lula Patton Houston, TXThese guys helped me with my TikTok branding. Got my desired username and account verification done within a week.
