When you’re an up and coming brand, negative content online can greatly impact your reputation. Whether it be a harsh review or totally unsubstantiated blog, removing content from third-party sites can be difficult.

If the language used in the article is outwardly hostile or harmful, you might not be successful in emailing the author a take-down request. In other cases, a certain website may have a no removals policy, which will make a removal request useless. Sometimes, removal requests are ignored or declined. If you’re having trouble removing an article on the Internet, here are a few steps you can take.

The most straightforward method of removing an article online is to confront its author directly. However, you’ll want to keep in mind that most websites aren’t under any obligation to remove an article because you asked them to, even when that article is about you. If an article’s author seems approachable, you can politely approach them about how the article disturbs you or your business. 

If the author isn’t listed, you can reach out to the site’s webmaster or website editor. In doing so, you can reduce the chances of your request being lost or ignored. Tools such as who.is and hunter.io can help you find contact information through a website’s URL.

If you’re asking someone without a legal obligation to help you, you’re going to need to make a compelling and foolproof argument. When you make your case, be sure to provide supporting documentation such as screenshots or emails whenever applicable. In your letter, explain thoroughly yet concisely the information you would like removed and why. 

Separate yourself from your emotions—provide only facts. Treat this correspondence the way you would act as a lawyer trying to sway a jury. You don’t want to be overcome with negative feelings, but you also want the recipient to be sympathetic to your case. If an article makes false claims about your character, for example, explain how this might have prevented you from landing a new job or began hindering your business operations. 

Some sites work towards removing obvious slander or harassment, which can make a powerful addition to your case if this language is present. If you’re dealing with an article posted on social media, it’s likely that you’ll be able to have the content removed by means of a violation of its terms of service.

If the person you’ve approached to help remove a piece of content is unresponsive or uncooperative, you may be better off hiring a page removal service such as ours at Content Removal. 

We are huge believers in anyone’s right to have control over their reputation online. If you need help removing negative information from the internet , contact us now!