Does Google Have Advice on How to Eliminate Negative Things About Me Online?

Does Google Have Advice on How to Eliminate Negative Things About Me Online?

If you've ever been arrested, you may have negative information about you online. The record of your arrest, sometimes even including a mug shot, may turn up in search engine results when someone Googles your name. The record will be there even if you didn't go to jail or were found innocent. This looks really bad to potential employers and may hinder romantic relationships whether you were guilty or innocent. So what does Google say about getting this kind of negative information about you deleted from their search engine?

Google has some very helpful tips in this area. They are, after all, the world's largest search engine and most people looking up information on you will go there first. Therefore, listening to what the company actually has to say on the matter of removing negative information is worth your time. You can actually take an active part in controlling the information about you that is on the Internet when you follow what this behemoth of a company has to say. The company recommends these three things:

  • Don't put your personal information on the web if it's not necessary. This includes your real name, address, birth date, phone number, and anything else that can be used to identify you to friends, family, romantic partners, and potential employers. You don't want anything that can lead people to a trail of websites that might reveal that past legal incident. You can be denied jobs or even put your current career in jeopardy if that information is easily accessible. Don't make it easy for people to find.
  • Go to the websites where negative information about you is published. Take down anything negative that you may have put on the Internet yourself. If something regarding your unsavory past is on a website you don't own, contact the owner and request that it be removed. Some websites may charge you to remove the information, but others will do it for free. You just have to follow their instructions to delete it.
  • Publish positive information about yourself on the Internet. This takes time, but is well worth it. You won't always be able to get negative information about you removed from a website. Some website owners simply refuse to do it. If that's the case, then publish your own websites and post good things about yourself on other websites as much as you can. If you can get these sites to show up in the search engines a page or more before the negative information, chances are most people will never see the bad things. The vast majority of people using the Internet only look at the first page of search results on any search engine. Get positive things on that first page and you're golden.
 
Cleaning up your internet profile on your own is definitely the cheapest way to go. There is even software available, sometimes as free downloads, that can automatically post positive comments about you on other websites to help boost your new, positive image. Plus, by going the do-it-yourself route, you are in control of every step of the process of creating a good Internet reputation for yourself. If you've got the time, this is a good route to take.

However, deleting and hiding arrest records and other negative information can be a slow, cumbersome process. You may be overwhelmed by it or have no idea where to begin. There are online reputation management companies that can help make this process a lot easier for you. The best ones offer comprehensive reputation management services and allow you to get started now. Look for companies that provide a no cost evaluation or free analysis of your internet presence. Take advantage of any free tools for cleaning up your internet profile on Google. Also, be sure to only work with companies that offer full refunds if you're not satisfied with their service.

Google warns of many reputation management scam companies out there. If you want to hire a company to manage your online reputation for you, do your due diligence before selecting one. Follow Google's advice and hire a company to help you if you need it. Be patient and know that it can be done. Simply take the first step and begin your online image reform today. There's no time like the present to start again.