It’s frustrating, even scary to see something negative about yourself on Google – especially when you can’t get it taken down. Maybe it’s an old article, a personal attack, or a mistake you’ve already owned up to. But it’s still the first thing people see when they look you up.
Your name is your greatest asset—but even one negative search result can tarnish your reputation.
Unwanted Google Search results can have serious consequences for both individuals and brands. Removing all negative content about you in search engine results pages (SERPs) is rarely possible. However, you can suppress the Google search results that you don’t want people to see.
At Reputation911, we’ve helped hundreds of people suppress unwanted results online, restoring their reputation, and more importantly, their life. In this blog post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to suppress negative search results.
Suppression is a form of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that involves building up and updating positive content in order to remove or suppress Google search results.
Unwanted Google Search results can have serious consequences for both individuals and brands.
Search engine suppression helps shift the focus away from negative links by promoting accurate, up-to-date, and relevant content that better reflects who you are. Rather than deleting what’s out there, you can control what people see.
This approach is a great alternative to reclaim your reputation when removal isn’t possible.
Search suppression is not about deleting content, but rather displacing it.
Instead of removing negative content, suppression works by pushing it off the first page of search results, where fewer people will see it.
This is done by creating, optimizing, and promoting positive content that ranks higher.
This strategy works because 91.5% of people never go past the first page of Google. If you can bury the negative result beneath stronger, more relevant links, its impact is greatly reduced.
You can’t delete Google search results yourself because you don’t own the websites where the information is posted.
To remove search results, you have two options:
If you can’t remove it, your best option is to create better content about yourself to push the bad results down.
Both are valid strategies – and they often work together – but in cases where removal (either from the source or search results) isn’t possible, suppression is the most effective way to improve your online reputation.
Not all negative content can be removed – but it can often be suppressed.
If the content is defamatory, discriminatory, or illegal, your first step should be to gather evidence and request removal through appropriate channels. These types of content may qualify for legal takedown or platform policy violations.
Search engine suppression is typically the most effective approach for content that is:
This includes anything where you’re at fault, the post is technically accurate, or the website just won’t take it down. In these cases, removal requests often get ignored – but suppression can still limit the damage.
We recommend trying suppression after:
If neither of these strategies work, suppression is a reliable next step to regain control over your search results.
Reputation911 can help you quickly suppress negative content from Google search results.
Here’s our step-by-step process for search suppression:
If you find one or more instances of negative content on the first page of Google search results that cannot be removed, check to see if more exist online, before they reach the first page of search results.
Start by searching your:
Use an incognito window to see unbiased results. Pay attention to the “People Also Ask”, “Related Searches”, and Google autocomplete suggestions. These reveal what others are Googling – and what might show up soon.
Look out for any:
Flag any results or keywords that could hurt your reputation – those are the ones you’ll want to suppress.
When it comes to search engine suppression, it’s best to start with what you already control. Updating your existing content is one of the fastest ways to improve your search presence.
Focus on:
Update existing content by making sure it’s accurate, current, and uses your name or brand name naturally. Refresh the page with new details, better formatting, images, and links to strong sources.
Avoid mentioning or linking to the negative content you want to suppress.
Example: If a workplace scandal got you fired and made the news, delete any references to that company—keeping them reinforces negative content on Google.
The goal is to boost authority of your positive pages – so they can rise in search results and push negative links down.
Fresh, high-quality content is the backbone of search engine suppression. The more relevant pages you create, the more chances you have to outrank negative results.
Focus on publishing content that reflects who you are today and builds credibility over time.
Here are some ideas:
Use your full name or brand name naturally throughout each piece, especially in titles, URLs, and meta descriptions. This helps Google associate those your name with the content you want people to see.
Remember to avoid any negative keywords or phrases that came up during your search result audit – but do add any positive keywords that came up.
Consistency is key here. A steady flow of new content builds trust with search engines – and slowly pushes unwanted results off the first page.
Publishing great content isn’t enough – it needs visibility.
Promoting your content helps it rank higher in search results, which is key to suppressing negative or unwanted results in Google.
Here’s how to give your content a boost:
Social media profiles often rank high in search results – so take full advantage of them.
Update your public profiles with:
Focus on maximizing your LinkedIn profile, as well as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and any niche networks where your audience might search for you.
Well-optimized profiles can outrank negative results and give people a better first impression when they Google your name.
For additional search engine suppression tactics, read our “10 Ways to Bury Negative Search Results” blog.
Tracking your name helps you spot any new negative content early and improve your results.
Here’s how to stay on top of it:
Use what you find to adjust and improve your strategy.
Search engine suppression isn’t a one-time fix. You need to keep your content updated to stay ahead.
Here’s why:
Search engine suppression helps you take control of what people see first in search results. In instances where it is not possible to removal of negative content, suppression is one of the most effective ways to repair your reputation.
With the right content, promotion, and optimization, you can push down harmful results and take back control.
If damaging content is hurting your name or business, Reputation911 can help. Our content removal and suppression services are designed to clean up your search results and repair your online reputation – fast.
Call us at 866-697-3791 or request a free consultation.
We make you look good online.
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