Google's "Results About You" Tool: Does It Actually Work?

If you have ever searched your own name and felt a knot in your stomach at what came up, you are not alone. It is one of the most common reasons people reach out to us. And increasingly, the first question they ask is: "Can't I just ask Google to remove it?"

It is a fair question. In 2023, Google launched a tool called "Results About You" that lets individuals request the removal of certain search results containing their personal information. The tool made headlines. It sounded like a solution. For some people, it genuinely is.

But for most professionals dealing with damaging search results (a negative news article, an unfavourable review, a disciplinary decision that dominates page one), this tool will not do what they hope it will.

I want to walk through exactly what the tool does, what it does not do, and why the distinction matters if you are trying to take control of your online presence.

What "Results About You" actually does

Google's "Results About You" tool is designed to help people remove search results that expose their personal identifiable information. Specifically, it targets results that display:

Your phone number
Your email address
Your home address
Other sensitive personal data (such as bank account details, identity documents, or login credentials)

The intention behind the tool is identity protection. If a data broker site, an old forum post, or a scraped directory is publishing your mobile number or home address alongside your name, Google will generally agree to remove that result from its search index.

This is a genuinely useful feature. Data exposure is a real problem, and having a straightforward process to address it is a good thing.

How to use it

The process is relatively simple:

Go to Google and search your name.
Find the result you want to request removal of.
Click the three dots next to the result (the "More options" menu).
Select "Remove result."
Choose the reason for your request (personal information exposure, outdated content, and so on).
Submit the request and wait for Google's review.

You can also access the tool directly through your Google account settings under "Results About You," where you can track the status of any requests you have submitted.

Google typically reviews requests within a few days to a couple of weeks. If the result clearly contains your personal contact information or sensitive data, the approval rate is reasonable. Google will de-index the page from search results, meaning it will no longer appear when someone searches your name.

What it does NOT do

Here is where the gap between expectation and reality becomes significant. The tool will not remove:

News articles. If a journalist wrote about you, whether it was a local paper covering a court matter or a national outlet reporting on a professional complaint, Google considers this publicly available information with legitimate public interest. The tool does not apply.
Court records. Judgments, tribunal decisions, and legal proceedings that are part of the public record are outside the scope of this tool.
Professional disciplinary decisions. If AHPRA, a medical board, a law society, or any regulatory body has published a finding about you, Google treats this as public record. A removal request will be rejected.
Government publications. Any information published by a government agency, whether it is a gazette notice, a regulatory filing, or an official report, is considered publicly available and will not be removed.
Business reviews. Negative Google reviews, Trustpilot ratings, or feedback on industry platforms fall outside the tool's purpose entirely.
Anything "publicly available" through official channels. This is the catch-all. If the information exists in the public domain through a legitimate source, Google's position is that removing it from search results would be suppressing access to public information, and they will not do it.

In practical terms, this means the tool is designed for a specific and narrow problem: protecting people from having their private contact details and sensitive personal data exposed online. It is not designed for reputation management. It is not designed to address negative press, professional complaints, or unflattering public records.

The success rate, honestly

From what we see working with clients across Australia, Google approves removal requests when the case is clear cut: a website is displaying your phone number, your home address is listed on a people-finder site, or your email is being scraped and published without context.

But when someone submits a request to remove a news article, a disciplinary finding, or a negative review, the request is almost always rejected. Google's criteria are specific, and they do not make exceptions for results that are simply unwelcome or damaging to your professional standing.

I have spoken with professionals who spent weeks submitting removal requests for every negative result on their first page, only to have every single one declined. The frustration is understandable. The tool appears to offer a solution, and it is disappointing when it turns out not to be the right one.

Why the distinction matters

The reason I think it is worth being clear about this is that I regularly speak with people who have delayed taking meaningful action because they believed Google's tool would eventually solve the problem. They submit requests, wait, get rejected, try again with different wording, and months pass while the damaging results continue to sit at the top of their search profile.

That delay has real consequences. Every month those results remain prominent, potential patients, clients, employers, or partners are seeing them. The professional and personal cost accumulates.

Understanding what this tool is for (and what it is not for) helps you make better decisions about where to direct your time and energy.

What actually works for reputation issues

If your concern is not about personal data exposure but about negative, misleading, or outdated content dominating your search results, the approach is fundamentally different. You are not trying to get Google to remove something. You are working to build a stronger, more accurate online presence that reflects who you are now.

This typically involves a combination of strategies:

Publishing authoritative content that demonstrates your current expertise, perspective, and professional standing. This is not about volume. It is about quality, relevance, and strategic placement.
Strengthening your owned platforms. Your own website, professional profiles, and industry contributions are assets you control. Most professionals significantly underutilise them.
Earning placements on high-authority domains. Content published on established platforms carries weight in Google's ranking algorithm. Strategic contributions to respected industry publications, professional bodies, and media outlets can shift what appears on page one.
Consistent, long-term effort. Search results do not change overnight. Sustainable improvement comes from building genuine digital authority over months, not from quick fixes or tricks.

The goal is not to hide the truth. It is to ensure that your search results tell a complete and fair story, not one defined by a single negative event.

The bottom line

Google's "Results About You" tool is a useful feature for a specific problem. If your personal contact details are being exposed online, use it. It may well help.

But if you are a professional in Australia dealing with negative search results, whether from media coverage, a regulatory finding, an unfair review, or outdated content that no longer reflects your career, this tool is not the answer. Recognising that early can save you months of frustration and help you focus on strategies that actually move the needle.

If you are unsure where you stand or what your options are, I am always happy to have a confidential conversation. No obligation, no pressure. Just an honest assessment of your situation and what might be possible.

Contact clare@narrativedigital.com.au for a confidential conversation.