The Internet is a dynamic and changing entity, which is constantly built and destroyed. Websites are an example of this permanent transformation. Over the years, websites can suffer all kinds of alterations: they are created with a specific purpose, they are updated with new content or designs, content must be removed, they change owners or domains, and at the end of their life cycle … disappear from the network. This can be due to various reasons: lack of maintenance, obsolescence, server shutdown, legal problems or simply loss of interest.
But what happens when a web page disappears, but still appears in Google search results? This can be annoying or harmful to the original owner or the new owner of the domain. For example, if the page contained personal or sensitive information that you no longer want to share publicly. Or if the new owner wants to create a new page with different content than the previous one.
To avoid these problems, Google offers several tools to request that unwanted content be removed from its index. These tools allow you to temporarily or permanently delete a web page or part of it from the search engine. To do this, it is necessary to prove that you have control of the website or that you have the permission of the owner. You may also request removal of content that violates copyright or applicable laws.
In this way, Google tries to respect the will and rights of the creators and owners of the web pages, as well as to offer users relevant and updated results.
What is Google search engine and how does it work?
The Google search engine is the most popular service of the Google company, which allows users to find information on the Internet through keywords. The Google search engine uses a complex algorithm that analyzes millions of web pages and sorts them according to their relevance and authority for each query. Google Search also offers other features such as voice search, image search, advanced search and personalization of results.
How to remove content from a web page from the Google search engine?
If you want to remove content from a web page from the Google search engine, there are different options depending on your situation:
- If you’re the owner of the website hosting the content you want to remove, you can take a few steps to remove it from both your site and Google search results.
- If you’re not the owner of the website hosting the content you want to remove, but the content is no longer available in its original location, you can request that Google remove it from search results using the Remove Outdated Content tool.
- If you’re not the owner of the website hosting the content you want to remove, but the content is still on the source website, you can fill out a takedown request if you believe your request meets Google’s legal or personal specifications.
Remove a specific URL
To remove a webpage from Google Search using Google Search Console, you must follow these steps in Safe Search Removal Tool and Reporting Tools:
- Go to the Google Search Console removal tool and select the property that belongs to you and contains the webpage you want to delete.
- Click “New request” and enter the full URL of the webpage you want to remove. Make sure the URL is correct and active.
- Click “Next” and choose the type of request you want to make: temporary or permanent. A temporary request hides the web page for about six months, while a permanent request removes the web page from Google’s index forever.
- Click “Submit” and wait for Google to process your request. You can view the status of your request in the withdrawal tool.
Note that to use this tool you must have access to the Search Console property that contains the webpage you want to delete and you can view at this address -> Manage owners, users, and permissions. If not, you can ask the owner to give you access or use other content reporting tools.
Remove outdated content
If you want to remove outdated or no longer online content from Google search results, you can use the outdated content removal tool. To access this tool, you have to go to this address -> https://search.google.com/search-console/remove-outdated-content. Once here you paste the URL of the page you want to delete, which can be a domain or a subdomain. Then, Google will check if the page still exists or not and show you the result. If the page is no longer available, you can request its removal by clicking on the “Request deletion” button. Google will process your request and inform you of the status.
Report content for legal reasons
If you have reason to believe that an article of yours has been plagiarized or you have to withdraw it for a legal reason you can visit this page -> https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905. This page allows you to report content that you want removed from Google services in accordance with Google’s policies or applicable laws.
References
- https://support.google.com/legal/answer/3110420?visit_id=21666801278921-188002877805815817&rd=1#zippy=%2Cproteger-su-informaci%C3%B3n%2Cla-transparencia-es-fundamental-para-nosotros
- https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/1429062#
- https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/3111061?hl=es
- https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7479439?hl=es
- Gestionar propietarios, usuarios y permisos – Ayuda de Search Console (google.com)
- Herramienta de retirada y herramientas de denuncia de Búsqueda Segura – Ayuda de Search Console (google.com)