How to Bury Negative Search Results About Yourself Online

By Bridget Batson, CMRW, CERM, CGRA, CPRW, NCOPE, CEIP | CEO, Houston Outplacement LLC

Okay, so here is something I tell my clients all the time, and I want to talk about it because it comes up a lot. Whether you are out there looking for your next opportunity or you are settled in your career and just want to protect your reputation, there is a really good chance something is floating around online about you that you wish wasn’t there. Maybe it’s an old lawsuit. Maybe it’s some bad press. Maybe it was something that happened completely out of your control. And look, I get it. Life happens. But, that stuff shows up. And it shows up at the worst possible time, like when a hiring manager is Googling your name or a new client is checking you out before a call.

So what do you do about it? How do you bury negative search results about yourself online? Well, I’m going to tell you what celebrities do, because they figured this out a long time ago. And it works. And you can do the exact same thing.

The Celebrity Playbook to Bury Negative Results About Yourself Online (And Why It Works for Regular People Too)

You ever notice that when a celebrity has a bad movie or gets caught up in something, they don’t just sit there? They launch something. They announce a partnership. They show up at an event. They start talking about their next big thing. Suddenly all the news is about what they’re doing now, not whatever happened before. That is not an accident. That is strategy.

Here’s what is actually happening: search engines, whether it’s Google, AI search tools, or any of these generative search engines, they prioritize fresh, relevant, authoritative content. So if you’ve got fifty recent things out there about your expertise, your insights, your work… that old thing from ten years ago gets pushed way down. Sometimes it disappears completely off the first page (or in the AI overview when you search your name). And if someone isn’t going past page one on Google or your AI overview is full of now new information about you, well, they’re never going to see it.

This is called search engine suppression. It is a real strategy. It is completely legitimate. And honestly, it is one of the most powerful career moves you can make right now.

Here Is What I Tell My Clients to Do

Get out there and post. A lot.

I mean write like your career depends on it, because honestly it kind of does. Write articles. Write LinkedIn posts. Get on podcasts. Pitch yourself to industry publications. Show up on panels. Share your knowledge like you are trying to shout it from a rooftop. Because you have been doing what you do for years. You know things. You have experience. You have insights that other people genuinely need. So stop keeping it to yourself and get it out there. Everything you publish, including LinkedIn articles, LinkedIn posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, your own domain articles, feeds Google who you are.

The goal is not to become famous. The goal is to become visible for the right things. You want someone to Google your name and see article after article about your expertise, your work, your thoughts on your industry. That is what buries the old stuff.

This Works Whether You’re Job Searching or Already Employed

I work with two kinds of people on this and I want to speak to both of you.

If you are job searching:

Hiring managers Google you. This is not a maybe, this is a definitely. And if the first thing they see is something negative, you are already starting from a hole before you even get a chance to interview. But if they see that you’ve been writing about your field, contributing to conversations, showing up as a thought leader… you are someone worth talking to.

If you are currently employed:

Your boss might Google you. Leadership absolutely will before a promotion conversation happens. Building a strong visible presence online right now protects you later. It shows you are someone who is growing, contributing, and engaged in your industry. That is genuinely valuable when advancement conversations come up.

The Practical Steps to Get Started in Burying Negative Search Results About Yourself Online

• Google yourself first. Search your name right now: both in Google search results and the AI overview. See what is actually showing up. Write it down. That is your baseline.
• Start creating content consistently. A WordPress article, a LinkedIn post, a guest post on an industry site, a podcast appearance. The format matters less than the consistency. Keep going.
• Make it real and make it useful. Write about what you actually know. Share what you’ve learned. Talk about processes you’ve improved or problems you’ve solved. Search engines reward helpful, authentic content. So do readers.
• Be patient but keep going. This is not an overnight thing. But after three months of regular content, you will start seeing movement. After six months that old stuff might be completely gone from page one.
• Get on high authority platforms. LinkedIn, industry publications, podcast directories, professional associations. The more trusted the platform you show up on, the faster the suppression works.

Bridget’s Takeaway on How to Bury Negative Search Results About Yourself Online for Your Career

You cannot control what happened in the past. But you absolutely can control what gets visible about you going forward. By becoming visible for your actual value, your expertise, your insights, your contributions, you are not just burying negative search results. You are building a real professional brand that opens doors.

So start today. Write one article. Pitch one podcast. Share one thing you know. Then do it again next week. Six months from now you will be shocked at what shows up when someone searches your name.

You are an expert at what you do. Now it’s time to let the world know it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to bury negative search results?

It really depends on how active and consistent you are, and how competitive your name is in search. For most people, you start to see real movement within three to six months of consistent content creation. The more you post, the faster it works. And the more authoritative the platforms you show up on, the better. This is not a one and done situation. You want to keep going.

Does this work for AI search results too, not just Google?

Yes, and this is actually something I pay a lot of attention to because AI search is where things are headed. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews all pull from recent, authoritative, well-indexed content. So the same strategy that pushes negative results down on Google also helps you show up positively in AI-generated answers. Fresh content on trusted platforms is the key.

What kind of content should I be creating?

Write about what you actually know. Share insights from your work. Talk about trends in your industry. Discuss problems you have solved and how you solved them. Write articles on LinkedIn or on your own blog. Get on podcasts as a guest. Contribute to industry publications. The key is that it needs to be real and useful, not just content for the sake of content. Helpful, authentic content ranks better and builds actual credibility at the same time.

Can I just delete the negative content?

Sometimes, yes. If it is something you posted yourself, like an old social media post, absolutely delete it. You can also contact website owners and request removal, or use Google’s own tools to request that certain personal information be removed from search results. But a lot of times you don’t have control over what someone else posted. That’s where the suppression strategy comes in, and honestly even when you can get something removed, flooding the zone with positive content is still a smart move.

Do I need to hire someone to do this for me?

You don’t have to. A lot of this you can do yourself, especially the content creation side. But if you are dealing with something really serious or you want results faster, working with a career coach or reputation management professional can absolutely help you build a strategy that is specific to your situation and your industry. The important thing is to start. Even one article a week makes a difference over time.

Is this strategy just for job seekers?

Not at all. I work with people at every stage of their career on this. Whether you are actively job searching, trying to get promoted, protecting your reputation in your current role, or building a consulting business, having a strong visible online presence is one of the smartest career investments you can make. Your digital footprint is part of your professional brand whether you want it to be or not. You might as well take control of it.

Ready to take control of your online presence?

Bridget Batson is a Certified Master Resume Writer and CEO of Houston Outplacement, helping professionals nationwide take control of their career narrative and land the opportunities they deserve. Reach out at 713.502.0614 to start the conversation.

About Bridget Batson & Houston Outplacement

Bridget Batson, CMRW, CERM, CGRA, CPRW, NCOPE, CEIP is an 8x TORI Award-winning Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW), Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM), and the Owner of Houston Outplacement LLC. A former Fortune 500 Recruiter and contributor to the 9th edition of Resumes for Dummies, Bridget bridges the gap between high-level talent and the modern hiring landscape.

Through her firm, Houston Outplacement LLC, she provides end-to-end career solutions for both individuals and organizations:

• For Individuals: Bridget Batson, through her firm, Houston Outplacement, offers private consultations and high-authority resume development, leveraging her status as a Certified Graphic Resume Architect (CGRA) and Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE) to help executives stand out in a “copy-paste” digital world.

• For Corporations: Houston Outplacement serves as a strategic partner during organizational shifts, providing compassionate, human-centric outplacement services and layoff assistance that protect employer branding and support departing talent.

• Public Speaking & Training: Bridget is a sought-after speaker on the topics of Career Resilience, Personal Branding, and Modern Hiring Strategy, helping teams navigate the intersection of human talent and AI-driven recruitment.

Credentials & Certifications: Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW) • Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM) • Certified Graphic Resume Architect (CGRA) • Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) • Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE) • Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP) • Myers–Briggs STRONG® Administrator.

Ready to move beyond the generic? Schedule an Individual Consultation or inquire about Corporate Outplacement services at Houston Outplacement.

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