Google Removals

While reviews can't typically be removed simply because they're negative, they can be taken down if they violate platform guidelines, are defamatory, or proven false.

Reviews greatly influence personal, brand, and business reputations. Over 90% of consumers rely on online reviews for purchasing decisions, and more than 80% avoid businesses with poor reviews. Just one negative review can drive away 22% of customers, while four or more can deter 70%.

On the positive side, 67% of customers will consider leaving a review after a good experience, but 86% of potential customers won't buy from a business with negative reviews.

If you believe a review is unfair, contact the platform with evidence. For assistance, reach out to our team, or check our blog on spotting and removing fake reviews.

Defamation, governed by the Defamation Act 2013, involves making a false and damaging statement about someone. However, not all such comments are defamatory. To qualify, the statement must meet the following criteria:

1. Published to a Third Party: The statement must be shared with at least one other person.
2. False Statement: The statement must be untrue and intended to mislead, not just an opinion.
3. Cause Serious Harm to the Claimant: The statement must cause significant reputational damage, or financial harm if it concerns a business.
4. No Defamation Privilege: Some statements, such as those made in court or as warnings, are protected from defamation claims.

If these conditions are met, the statement can be classified as either libel or slander.

Removing online content is not always straightforward, but there are a few ways you can attempt to take control:

• Deleting Your Own Content: Log in and delete content from your website, blog, or social media. Replace or redirect removed pages, and update privacy settings on social media profiles.
• Requesting Google Removal: If you can't access the site, submit a removal request to Google for personally identifiable information, exploitative content, explicit or fake pornography, or images of minors.
• Contacting the Website: Reach out to the author or site owner directly.
• Legal Options: If necessary, consult a professional for legal removal options. Consider action for copyright infringement, defamation, or the Right to be Forgotten in the EU.

If all attempts to remove the content have been unsuccessful, the next step is to develop an online reputation management strategy. This approach will help to push the negative content further down in search results, reducing its visibility and impact on your reputation.

For more information on reputation management, read our guides or contact Igniyte for a free consultation.

Removing your name from Google is a similar process to removing negative content. Key steps include:

• Contact the website owner to request removal.
• Use Google's removal tools for outdated content or personal information.
• Exercise the "Right to be Forgotten" if you are in the EU.
• Manage your online presence through privacy settings and monitoring.
• Consider legal action if the content is defamatory.
• Utilise reputation management services for professional help.

If you're wondering why Google search results matter so much, it's worth knowing that just over two-thirds of us trust search engines when we research an individual, organisation or brand.

This is reason enough to want to remove any negative search results that might show up.

Content from Google could be an online review site or negative content on a news website. Whatever the content is, people want to know how to go about the removal process.

In theory, this approach can work. It is possible to make a removal request to a website owner and simply ask them to either remove personally identifiable information about you or delete the given page.

Are they likely to do so? In our experience as professional reputation managers with years of experience, the short answer is 'no'.

Often, the owner of a web page, site or the content itself is highly unlikely to respond to this kind of request positively. This is largely because, as the author or owner of the content itself, we must assume they have a reason to have published it on their website in the first place.