Everyone has had a picture taken of them at some point in time that they wish was never taken. Maybe it was a moment you weren’t proud of or a wild night from your younger years. While you may be able to delete a photo from your own device immediately, what happens if someone else posts that picture somewhere online? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how that picture was shared, it is the fact that it made it online in the first place.
An incriminating picture has the ability to cripple one’s personal or professional reputation in a heartbeat. It may be devasting, but there are solutions available to help you regain control of the image you portray to the public eye.
How to Remove an Image from Google
Below we will discuss the steps to take to identify and help remove unwanted images from your online presence.
- Identify where the picture appears in search results.
Understand exactly where the unwanted image appears within search results. Check to see if it appears only in the images section of Google or if it appears in web results too. Other areas it may appear may be in news or video sections of results if the image is linked to a news story. Also take note as you search the exact keywords associated with the image. Do results populate for your full name, nickname, or other keywords? Identifying what tags result in your image appearing will help determine next steps.
- Take note of how high the image ranks.
Where in search results does the image rank? Is it one of the first things someone sees when they google your name, or does it come up on pages 2 or 3? The higher the image ranks, the quicker you will want to seek support in getting it removed or suppressed.
- Identify the original location of the image.
If you remember the context in which the photo was taken, backtrack to the original source. Check your social media accounts to see if it was a photo you had posted at one point in time. If it wasn’t posted by your directly, check to see if any friends that may have been in attendance for that event may have shared the photo to any of their profiles.
- Start with the easiest sources to take down the picture.
Based upon the conclusions of your initial research, you may be able to quickly target a few sources in which the unwanted image appears. If the picture was posted within your own social media realm, you can remove it immediately on your own. Ensure to completely remove it, not just change your profile to private. If a friend or someone close to you shared the image, ask them to take it down and explain your reasoning to get them to understand.
- Considerations if you don’t personally know who posted the image.
If you don’t know the person who posted the picture directly, but it appears it was posted without bad intentions, you may be able to contact them directly to ask to take it down. Depending on the site in which the picture was posted, you may be able to review their removal policies to see if you can petition to have the image removed. However, if the photo was posted with the intention to bring harm to your reputation, your next steps may be to contact a professional for help.
- Request for removal from Google.
Google has very specific policies when it comes to the removal of images from their database. If the pictures posted of you are a result of revenge porn or contain any information that could lead to identity theft, you may be eligible for them to remove the image at your request. For a full list of their policies, you can visit Google’s removal page.
- Right to be forgotten.
If you reside in the UK, you may have the benefit of using the “right to be forgotten” ruling to help take down pictures that damage your reputation. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are certain types of personal data that qualify to be taken down from search results.
- Seek help in suppressing the images from search results.
In the event that you are not able to work with the site(s) that are hosting the image, an online reputation management company can help in hiding or “suppressing” the images so that they rank lower in search results. This can be accomplished through a variety of means, including generating positive content to rank higher so that the negative images are hard to find
Maintaining Your Online Reputation After Removal
Once you have accomplished removing or suppressing the negative images of you from your online reputation, it is important to go the extra mile and build the image you want online. This can be done in numerous ways:
- Review Existing Content You Have Online.
When you initially searched for the negative images, you may not have taken into account just how much information is available online about you. Go back and search your name and review the content that appears in the results. Are there any old social media profiles or blogs you may want to remove?
- Determine How You Want to Be Represented Online.
Once you have seen the results that appear, you can make the decision on how you want to be portrayed in your online search results. What is the image that you want to convey to your online audience? If you are looking to promote you or your business in a professional way, you may need to seek help to reflect that brand.
- Generate Additional Content.
Build a strong brand by publishing positive images such as professional headshots or work events to reflect the image you want to demonstrate online. Content may include biographies, samples of work, sections of presentation decks, or family or travel photos. At the end of the day, you are in control of what information you want to share online.
- Set Up Alerts.
Signing up for alerts such as Google Alerts can notify you as soon as your name is published in any content online. By turning on such notifications, you have control and will know immediately if anything is published online that shouldn’t be. From there, you have time on your side with how to work to maintain and promote your online reputation.
How Reputation Resolutions Can Help
The best approach in dealing with any negative content is always to remove it from search results. At Reputation Resolutions, we have developed a range of strategies for removing and suppressing images in Google, and our team provides the fastest and most affordable solution for helping you regain control over your online reputation. Best of all, there’s no risk involved – due to our high success rate in removing or suppressing images from Google, we now only charge for this service on a pay-for-performance basis.
Why Trust Our Team
Reputation Resolutions is one of the few Reputation Management firms that have an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. In addition, Reputation Resolutions has been selected as one of the top 5 providers of online reputation management services in the industry by both greatagencies.com and topseos.com. To see reviews from past clients who have used our services, click here.
Get Started Today
If you are looking to remove or suppress images from Google’s search results, please fill out the form below or call us today at 855-239-5322 to speak to one of our specialists.