Not Removal — Repositioning
In most cases, defamatory content can't simply be erased from the internet, even after a favorable judgment. What can be changed is where it ranks relative to everything else people find when they search a client's name or business. Search result cleanup builds and strengthens legitimate, accurate content — a professional profile, a company site, verified press coverage, and other authoritative pages — so it outranks the defamatory content on the same search terms. This is work clients frequently want to begin as soon as possible, often before a litigation matter has fully resolved, and understanding that timeline helps counsel set appropriate expectations at intake.
A Technical SEO Foundation, Coordinated With Counsel
This is where my 25-plus years as a technical SEO consultant directly apply. Hartzer Consulting builds cleanup strategy on the same principles used in any legitimate SEO campaign: strong on-site content, authoritative backlinks, structured data, and technical optimization — not manipulation tactics that violate search engine guidelines and could undermine a client's credibility if discovered during litigation. Any public-facing content work is coordinated with retaining counsel to avoid conflicting with the litigation strategy or creating statements that could be used against the client's position.
This Takes Time, Independent of the Litigation Timeline
Search result cleanup is a months-long process, not an overnight fix, and it runs on its own timeline separate from the litigation. Search engines need time to crawl, index, and re-rank new content, and building genuine authority behind it takes sustained effort. I recommend counsel introduce this option to clients early, even if the formal engagement doesn't begin until later, so clients understand it's a parallel track rather than something that waits for the case to conclude.