This should probably be more correctly titled “How to Remove Your Blog Content From Google and Prevent It From Getting There in the First Place”, but that’s a bit long.
Google Webmaster Central offers a variety of techniques to remove your blog content from the Google database and index.
It covers how to use the webmaster tools to remove individual posts and pages, remove and block a directory from inclusion, block or remove an entire site from being indexed, deal with cached copies of content and replacing it with new content, and how to remove content that isn’t your own, among many other tips for including and removing your content from Google.
The Web Page Removal Request Tool is new and allows you to request removal of content from a site you don’t own. Google doesn’t necessarily remove the content, but will work with you to remove the content from their index, as well as with the site owner to get the information removed directly from the site. No promises on the latter.
Such removal requests could be for copyright violations, privacy violation, outdated or dead links, inappropriateness (not compliant with SafeSearch), or possibly legal action. This effort is not done lightly, but initiating is now a bit easier.
Site Search Tags: blogging tips, blog management, google, search engine, web page removal request tool, remove web page from google, remove web pages, delete web pages, google index, prevent web pages from google, prevention, stop web pages indexed, prevent indexing, prevent google, prevent search engines, stop search engines
Copyright Lorelle VanFossen, member of the 9Rules Network
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16 Comments
I need help removing something I said on a site. Can you help?
@ Laura Banks:
No, I can’t help. Sorry. You have to contact the site owner and request the removal. Since they “own” the content, it’s up to them to delete it and they might not want to. Think first before hitting submit, and read How NOT to Comment on Comments.
ok i signed up for this blog thing and i don’t want it anymore so . .. how do i delete it ?
@ Lindsay:
I don’t know what “blog thing” you are talking about, but most blog programs have a DELETE BLOG option. Unless I knew more about what you were asking, and the blogging program you are using, I can’t help you. Please contact the customer support services for your blog host.
Me too. I started to blog but now I’m bored with it. How do I delete it for good?
@ Dave:
Hit the DELETE BLOG button.
But no blog is gone forever. There are copies of it cached all over the place. Still, you can delete it and you are done with it. It’s up to you.
Loelle
I have a problem.
My post contents do not show up. Only the post title shows up now. This happened after I uploaded my advanced excerpt plugin by Bas Van Doren. Previously without uploading this plugin, after I posted my new post, I can see part of my post content but not later when I uploaded this advanced excerpt plugin
What could be the problem/s? How do I overcome this. Please note I do not know html jargon well and editing the theme contents. Anyway to teach step by step.
Thank you
@ forever4justice:
Let me get this straight. You install a Plugin that changes how your post excerpts appear and you wonder what might be causing a problem with your posts not appearing? Deactivate the Plugin.
If you are having more problems, check with the WordPress Support Forum for more prompt help with your WordPress blog.
It is working, but it should be done for a good reason: 404 or 410 error message.
What are the laws/standards for blog content removal of a blog owner who has passed away? Is it the right of the family of the deceased to request removal from the hosting website?
@ Jennie:
There are no laws that I know of specific to blogs. If the estate of the deceased defines ownership of the content, then the family must follow that directive. Otherwise, the blog content is copyright and intellectual property and handled under those laws in the case of death, just like any other property. The executor must handle this along with other property and consult a lawyer.
If the content is on a web hosted site, not free, then when the payment is no longer made, the site will be closed. The content is still indexed and cached around the web, maybe, so that’s a different issue.
Best to consult an intellectual property attorney to handle this if your estate attorney isn’t familiar with this. Good luck.
I have a query, I have made a feed link of my blog in my orkut profile. I deleted my past posts and updated my blog, now my problem is the feed is showing me my current post an well as deleted post. How can I delete the content of feed which is no longer existing.
Regards.
@ Kushal Sejwal:
You are on blogspot. You’ll have to ask Google for help.
I just deleted a blog XXX.wordpress.com, but the files inside are still available and downloadable:
http://XXX.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/doc2.doc
It is VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT to delete all completly. Do you know how?.
THANK YOU
someone has created a blog which contains some sensetive photos of me, that were on my stolen PC, and to make it worse they have offered all my info, full name, location etc. i am desperate to have this removed and have gone through all of Google’s help forms etc, but not one person has replied back to me. is there anyone else i can contact with regards to having this blog removed before all my friends and family see it?
Since this incident involves criminal activity, a criminal lawyer and your local law authorities are the best ones to deal with it. As for Google and other search engines, they are required to work with law enforcement depending upon the laws of the country. The legal authorities can also help with that.
I recommend you tell your family, if you are concerned, as this can take a very long time and a lot of legal battles. It could get expensive, too. Trust me, no matter what the pictures are, there are members of your family who have done worse. It’s human nature to screw up and do things you regret later, but you wanted to do them at the moment you did them, so it must have been the right decision at the time, knowing you would have to live with the consequences of your actions. The more you laugh it off, the less problem it is.
Still, this is illegal action and violation of privacy, so get the law to help you. And good luck.
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