Negative news doesn’t just damage your reputation—it hijacks your search results. If a bad article ranks high on Google, it pushes down everything positive about you or your business. The fix? Remove or reduce that bad press, and your rankings can instantly improve.
Here’s how it works—and why it matters.
Learn More: How to Remove a News Article from Google
Why Bad Press Hurts Your SEO
Google ranks content based on relevance, authority, and engagement. A news article on a high-authority site (like CNN or a local paper) will often outrank your website, LinkedIn, or blog—even if it’s old or unfair.
What that means:
- Your personal or business site gets buried
- Potential customers see the worst first
- Positive content has no room to grow
Removing or hiding that negative content frees up space for you to own Page 1.
How Removing Bad Press Improves Rankings
1. Clears the Way for Your Website
Once a damaging article is removed or de-indexed, Google rebalances the search results. That gives your site a better chance to move up.
This is especially powerful for:
- Business owners
- Executives
- Job seekers
- Public-facing professionals
2. Boosts Trust and Clicks
Even if people scroll past bad press, it still makes them hesitate. Studies show that 68% of users skip over search results that look negative—even if they’re old.
When the bad stuff is gone, your remaining content earns more clicks, which helps improve your ranking further.
3. Strengthens Your Online Authority
Google favours trusted, consistent content. If you’re publishing blogs, interviews, or social posts—but a negative article sits above them—your efforts are wasted. Remove the bad press, and your good content gains traction.
Best Strategies to Remove or Hide Negative News
- Request removal from the source
- Ask for anonymization or redaction
- Use Google’s outdated content tool
- Request de-indexing if full removal isn’t possible
- Suppress the article with SEO and content creation
When you eliminate a negative story, Google shifts focus to what’s left—and that should be you at your best.
Real-World Results
We’ve seen clients jump from Page 3 to Page 1 within weeks of removing a top-ranking news article. Why? Because that one piece of negative content was blocking everything else.
Once it was gone:
- Their website traffic doubled
- LinkedIn profile started ranking higher
- Positive press releases finally showed up
You can’t out-rank bad press if it’s sitting at the top. But once it’s removed? Your visibility skyrockets.
Final Thoughts
Removing bad press isn’t just about protecting your image—it’s about unlocking the potential of your online presence. Whether you’re running a business or managing your personal brand, clearing negative news helps your real story rise to the top.
Want to improve your rankings by removing bad press?
Let Reputation Flare handle it for you—fast, discreet, and results-only pricing.
Get a Free Quote and take back control of your search results.