If you’re thinking about getting a news article removed from Google, one question that often comes up is whether it will hurt your SEO. The short answer? Probably not—but it depends on the situation.
Let’s break it down.
Learn More: How to Remove a News Article from Google
First, What Type of SEO Are We Talking About?
There are two kinds of SEO that matter here:
1. Personal SEO
This refers to what shows up when someone Googles your name.
2. Website SEO
This relates to your company’s website rankings for keywords, visibility, and traffic.
Removing a news article can impact both—positively or negatively—depending on what the article contains and where it was published.
If the Article Is Negative, Removal Helps SEO
Let’s say the article contains damaging content about you or your business. It’s ranking high on Google and hurting your credibility. In this case:
- Removing the article improves your personal SEO
You clear space for more positive or neutral links to rank higher. - It boosts trust and click-throughs
People are more likely to visit your site or profiles if negative press isn’t crowding the first page.
In short: removing bad press usually helps your reputation and your search performance.
What If the Article Was Positive?
If the article was favorable or neutral—and published by a high-authority news site—removing it might hurt you slightly:
- You lose a strong backlink (if it linked to your site)
- Your name or brand may appear less in search results
- It might reduce visibility if the article was driving traffic
But here’s the catch: most people looking to remove news articles aren’t targeting the good ones. So this risk rarely applies.
Will It Hurt Your Website Rankings?
Usually, no.
Most news articles about individuals or businesses don’t have a direct SEO benefit to your domain. They live on third-party news sites. Unless the article was sending traffic or backlinks to your website, its removal won’t impact your rankings.
However, if the article was linking to your site and driving traffic, it might be worth exploring suppression instead of full removal—especially if the content was neutral or lightly critical.
Bottom Line
Removing a news article almost never hurts your SEO—and in most cases, it helps. If the article is negative, outdated, or unfair, getting it off the first page can improve your reputation, search appearance, and user trust.
Not sure whether to remove or suppress?
Reputation Flare can review the article and guide you toward the best path.
No upfront fees. Just results. Get a Free Quote today.