Google Reviews, Court Records Easiest to Remove From Search

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google reviews and republished court records are the easiest and fastest negative online content to remove, according to a Tuesday report by global online reputation firm Erase.com that analyzed removal requests.

The company’s study, which examined 22,620 links between Jan. 1 and Sept. 21, 2026, found that Google reviews constituted the majority of removal requests, accounting for 52 percent of the total.

Eligible Google reviews, along with court records, mugshots and listings from people-search sites like Trellis and UniCourt, typically saw removal within two weeks, the analysis showed.

Conversely, content such as Yelp reviews, Reddit threads and news stories proved significantly more challenging to remove from search results.

The median time for all successful content removals across various platforms was 18 days, Erase.com reported. Approximately 71 percent of confirmed removals were completed within 30 days, while 91 percent were finalized within 90 days.

Removal strategies varied by content source, the company said. For Google reviews, specific platform policies often dictate the removal process. However, for unremovable Yelp reviews, Erase.com recommended publishing a public reply as an alternative strategy.

The analysis included data from a wide range of platforms beyond Google and Yelp, such as Trustpilot, Indeed, BBB and Glassdoor for reviews, and legal databases like Justia, CaseMine, vLex and CourtListener for court records.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has previously issued guidance regarding online reputation management, emphasizing transparency and consumer rights in the digital space.

Erase.com stated that its findings offer data-driven insights into the feasibility and timelines associated with removing various types of negative online content, which can impact personal and professional reputations.

Source: Search Engine Journal