Google Never Forgets - But You Can Fight Back

They say elephants never forget. Well, meet Google—the elephant that remembers everything you wish it didn’t. Especially that one news article from 2016 that still shows up when someone searches your name.

Whether you’re a startup founder, a doctor, a politician, or just someone who got tangled up in a headline years ago, seeing that link pop up at the top of search results is frustrating—and sometimes, downright damaging.

But here’s the good news (finally): You can fight back. No, not with pitchforks and petitions, but with a strategic, ethical, and completely digital plan.

Why do old articles keep ranking?

1. Content separation (a.k.a. down the noise)

   Flood the internet with good content that reflects your current reality. Think: blog posts, news coverage, interviews, YouTube videos, even podcasts. Create enough high-quality, keyword-optimized content to push the old news article to page two (aka the forgotten zone).

   
   

2. SEO Judo

   If the article says "ABC Firm investigated for fraud," guess what you do? Publish articles like: "ABC Firm's Revival Story: From Investigation to Innovation" or "Why ABC Firm Is Setting New Industry Standards in 2025." Use their own keywords to beat them at their own game.

   
   

3. Leverage Regional Media

   Get coverage in local news portals or regional digital news sites in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, etc. Multilingual SEO works wonders in India’s search ecosystem.

   
   

4. Google de-indexing (The Legal Route)

   If the content is defamatory, factually wrong, or violates Google’s policies (think personal data leaks, revenge articles, etc.), you can submit a formal de-indexing request. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s worth trying—especially when combined with lawyerly backup.

   
   

Example : A Pune-based restaurateur had a viral customer complaint blow up in 2021. Even after the issue was resolved, that article ranked higher than his Zomato reviews. Our team rolled out a 3-month ORM campaign: influencer coverage, Google Business updates, a YouTube documentary, and guest posts in local media. By month four, the article had sunk below his 5-star press.

You are not powerless

Google might be permanent ink, but online reputation isn’t a death sentence. You just need the right digital eraser. And a smarter strategy.

Your online image is your digital handshake. Don’t let a stale headline be your introduction.

Need help cleaning up your search results?

Let’s talk. We at Clean Slate have handled everything from news stories to court case mentions and viral mishaps.