Can I remove old content about me from search results?

Request removal from Google directly

Google Search Console (free, requires account verification) lets you request removal of specific URLs. Google may remove outdated results, private information, or certain harmful content. This doesn't delete the original content—just removes it from Google's index.

Contact the website hosting the content

If you own the content, remove it from your own site. If it's on someone else's site, look for contact information and request removal directly. Most legitimate sites will take down truly private information, but opinions and public records they'll likely keep.

Removal doesn't mean deletion

Removing something from Google search doesn't erase it from the internet. The original page still exists; it's just harder to find. Other search engines and archives like the Wayback Machine may still have it.

What you probably can't remove

Published news articles, court records, public business filings, and published reviews usually stay searchable. Your own social media posts you can delete, but third-party mentions of them may persist.

Focus on burying it instead

When removal isn't possible, create new positive content that ranks higher. This pushes the old result down search rankings—it's still there, but less visible.