Most people rush to bury a negative result with lots of new content. Sometimes that is right. Other times a quiet, well-documented removal request is faster and cleaner. Use the kit below to decide which path fits your situation, then follow the step-by-step plans.
A plain-English decision guide for choosing between requesting removal or building content to outrank. You will see a quick scorecard, a comparison matrix, checklists, and two ready-to-run plans.
This is general information to organize your effort. It is not legal advice. When in doubt, ask an attorney or your platform’s support team.
Removal vs outrank scorecard
Tick what applies. The tool suggests which path to start with. You can run both in parallel if the result is borderline.
Removal vs outrank at a glance
| Use this when | How to do it well | Time to effect | Common risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request removal | Keep it factual and short. Provide screenshots, URLs, and a one-sentence explanation. If relevant, include proof like court orders, government IDs redacted, or ownership documents. | Days to weeks | Denial due to policy fit, delayed responses |
| Outrank | Publish a simple 5-page kit: Bio, Q&A, Timeline, Project Gallery, Statements. Add a short correction page for the exact query. Link them together and keep dates current. | Weeks to months | Too little evidence, weak interlinking, stale pages |
Evidence pack checklist
- Screenshot of the search results with date
- 10–20 offending URLs that show the pattern
- One-sentence problem summary
- Proof: ID redactions, copyright ownership, court docs
- 5-page kit outline and draft copy
- Photos with descriptive filenames and alt text
- Before and after metrics or dates for clarity
- Internal link map from pages you already control
Two plans you can start today
- Day 1–2: Screenshot, compile 10–20 URLs, write one-sentence summary.
- Day 3: File the request with your evidence pack.
- Day 4–5: Publish a short factual page with dates in case the result persists.
- Day 6–10: Add two internal links from existing pages you control.
- Day 11–14: Check rankings, note any drops or removals.
- Week 1: Publish Bio and Q&A pages. Add dates and real contact routes.
- Week 2: Publish Project Gallery with 6 tiles and one metric each.
- Week 3: Publish Timeline and a short correction page for the exact query.
- Week 4: Publish Statements archive and add internal links from authority pages.
Simple budget and time estimator
Enter rough numbers to visualize effort. This is directional.
Short templates you can reuse
This page exposes private or incorrect information. Attached are screenshots, 12 URLs showing the pattern, and documents that verify my claim.
- Headline: Facts and timeline for [Your Name]
- Three dated facts that matter
- What changed and when
- Contact route for questions
- About page → Bio & Q&A
- Recent posts → Timeline and Statements
- Project pages → Gallery tile that matches the query
Use the scorecard to pick a path. If removal-friendly factors dominate, assemble a tight evidence pack and submit. If not, ship the 5-page kit and a short correction page this month. Keep everything dated and easy to verify so readers and search systems can trust your version.
