Tips to improve your online reputation with the Right to be Forgotten

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What is online reputation management?

Online reputation management (ORM) means looking after your digital footprint and controlling what people see when they search your name online. Managing your online reputation management is important if you're applying for a new job and for your own privacy, too.

Negative content may include news stories about you, slanderous material, embarrassing photos and negative posts on social media. The internet means your past mistakes are available for all to see. Internet Erasure helps you manage your online reputation by using the Right to be Forgotten to remove content like news articles from Google. Here are some beginners' tips for ORM.

Search your name online

It sounds basic, but the first step to managing your online reputation is knowing what comes up when your name is searched. Have a look on Google, but don't forget there are other search engines, like Bing and Yahoo. You can also set alerts with Google, meaning you'll be notified when new content about you is listed online. Search images and news too, and be sure to go beyond the first few pages. Remember, mobile results can be different, so make sure you search from your phone as well as a desktop. Search on social media platforms, too.

Act on negative content

If you find stuff online that could damage your reputation, think carefully about how to respond. You can use mechanisms like the Right to Erasure—we'll cover that later in this post. If there is a negative news article about you online, ask the website owner to take it down. You can use the template in our free guide. Or if you decide to write you own email, be polite, respectful and professional in your communication. If you take an argumentative or threatening tone you could make things worse. The same applies to any negative comments about you on social media. Reply in a diplomatic tone, instead of adding fuel to the fire. Sometimes, you may want to ignore comments altogether.

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Clean up social media

What you post and share on social media can have a big impact on your online reputation. Go through your old posts and photos and delete anything that could reflect badly on you. Pay particular attention to old posts, too. In the early years of social media, people were less aware of online privacy. Remember to check your activity log on Facebook and other platforms too. This will show you the comments you've made on other people's posts. Instead of trawling through years of social media posts though, setting your profile to private may be the easiest way to improve your reputation. 

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Use the Right to be Forgotten

The Right to be Forgotten (also known as the Right to Erasure) is your legal right to request personal data be removed from search engines and online platforms. This can include news articles, photos, and anything that's outdated, irrelevant or incorrect. You can apply directly to search engines or websites. Our guide to using the Right to be Forgotten to get links removed from Google may come in handy, too. Keep in mind, the Right to Erasure is not an absolute right and websites may reject your requests to delete content. That's because personal privacy often clashes with freedom of information and expression. Our page on the Right to be Forgotten when it applies and when it doesn't explains more.​

Be positive online

​Posting and sharing positive content online is another way to improve your online reputation. This is especially true if you're applying for jobs, as employers often "snoop" on applicants' social media profiles. Improving your online reputation may even help you get a job or win work. On LinkedIn, share insightful comments on industry-related posts to showcase your expertise and network with potential employers or clients. Interacting with different communities in Facebook groups is another great way to improve your online reputation. If you have any awards, certificates, or personal achievements, think about sharing them on social media.

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Seek professional assistance

​If you still want to improve your online reputation, try using an online reputation management company. Internet Erasure can remove links from Google about you. We are experts in the Right to be Forgotten and can argue your case to search engines, news websites, and other types of media — we don't give up either. 
Over the years, our team has removed 70,000 links, articles and photos. We've helped 1,200+ people to improve their reputation, make a fresh start, and break free from their past mistakes. We're the only reputation company in the UK that focuses specifically on the Right to Erasure. And we're the only one with an Excellent rating on Trustpilot. If there's damaging content about you online, contact us today. As we only accept cases we believe we'll be successful with, you can feel confident your investment will pay off.

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Testimonials

​"Internet Erasure were fantastic! I had quite a complicated case as there was business involved and they still managed to solve it and delete all information about me on search engines. I really appreciate their help as this was haunting me for many years and affected my life."

"This company is amazing. They have truly changed my life. I won't go into too much detail about what I had removed as it was a high profile case that was published all over the world on social media & in national newspapers… After 10 years of having thousands of internet searches about me spread across the world within 8 months my name was cleared & my life is finally back. They kept me informed & up to date every step of the way. I would highly recommend this company 100% to anyone. Thank you Internet Erasure you are the best!"

You can read more reviews on Trustpilot.