When most users don’t go past the first page of search results, knowing how to push down negative search results on Google can be a valuable tool for a business to better manage its business’ reputation. While there is no way to completely remove unwanted negative content from Google search results, there are steps businesses can take to ensure certain results get pushed out of the above-the-fold rankings, and even onto a separate page entirely. However, if the listing a business is trying to remove happens to qualify as spam, then there are ways to report spam to Google to ensure it gets removed from the index.
To effectively bury negative search results, consider implementing these suggestions to help improve your brand’s online presence.
How to Bump Google Search Results Down
- Use Social Media to Bump Down Results
- Find Directory Citations to Push Down Negative Results
- Make a Google Business Profile in Google Search Results
- Create Content to Reclaim Negative Keywords
Use Social Media to Bump Down Google Search Results
Leveraging social media profiles is a perfect way to ensure your brand’s owned channels are front and center in Google search. This strategy is referred to as barnacle SEO and allows a brand to attach itself to larger websites, often with more authority, to earn traffic and increase branded rankings. This strategy is an effective way to create listings at the top of search results and push down negative Google listings.
Whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram, having a full gamut of social profiles gives your brand another owned channel to control in search. Interlinking owned profiles to your brand’s website can also help transfer any potential link equity and help rankings at the end of the day.
Use Directory Citations to Push Down Negative Results
Just like social media, you can use barnacle SEO for websites with business directories to give your brand’s website a boost in the rankings. Consider business directories related to your brand’s industry; these directories will give your brand the benefit of having a related keyword associated with your brand name on a website with real authority.
Also, seeking out directories that are local, such as a chamber of commerce business directory or a city business directory, can benefit your brand’s local search rankings, giving your brand local keywords associated with your business. While these listings aren’t entirely owned channels, you can control a lot of the information on your brand’s listings, giving you another way to remove negative search results.
Use Google Business Profile in Google Search Results
Utilizing Google Business Profile effectively can be another tool you can use to manage your brand’s page-one rankings. Google Business Profile allows a website to directly rank in local searches and appear on Google Maps, giving your brand another way to connect with the audience. There are many ways to optimize business listings, but in the interest of suppressing results, this strategy gives opportunities to create engaging videos and photos that can capture the interest of users searching for your business. You can directly respond to negative reviews and help control any potential reputation issues in the future. These listings often stretch below above-the-fold rankings, giving users who are searching for your brand plenty of content to interact with.
Create Content to Reclaim Negative Keywords
Sometimes a negative listing is associated with your brand along with a keyword. If you have used the prior steps to no avail, then it’s time to create content on your website that tries to reclaim the negative keywords. Trying to bury bad Google search results could require you to create a blog focused on said negative keyword. This blog shows how your business is better than the competition for this kind of keyword and how your business offers the best option for this kind of keyword.
Providing Google-quality content is the best tool to fight against posts that are appearing in search. Giving users a reason to click on your website’s content versus the negative search result should always be top of mind when creating new content for your business.
Take Back Control of Your Reputation
There’s no one way to bury negative search results and push them down in Google Search. However, there are steps you can take to help bolster your brand’s page-one presence, providing ownership of your brand’s image and giving potential searchers a clear path to your website.