1 What is the difference between deleting a page and de-indexing it?
Page de-indexing (removal of a page from Google)
2. when is it worth considering deleting a site?
2.1 The site contains outdated or erroneous information
2.2 Poor quality content or duplicates
2.3 The site leads to legal problems or violates Google's rules
2.4 End of product or offer life cycle
2.6. Site migration or reorganisation
3 How do I remove a page from Google?
3.1. Temporary deletion of a page using Google Search Console
3.2. Adding the "noindex" tag in the page code
3.3 Blocking the page in robots.txt file
3.4 Permanent deletion of page (deletion of file or URL)
3.5. Removal on grounds of violation of privacy or law
Removing a page from Google search results is a topic that raises many questions among website owners. While an online presence is crucial to business success, the decision to remove a page requires careful consideration. However, there are a number of reasons to consider this step. In this article, we will look at the different methods of removing sites from Google and the situations in which such a decision may be warranted. Understanding the process of removing sites from Google's index will not only help you protect your privacy and reputation, but will also enable you to better manage your online content. You will learn what steps need to be taken to successfully complete the process and what tools may be helpful. Remember that nothing is lost without a trace on the internet, so it is worth knowing all aspects of removing content from the web.
What is the difference between deleting a page and de-indexing it?
Deletion of page
Deleting a page involves physically deleting the page files from the server or deactivating its address URL. The page is no longer accessible to users who try to access it. This can result in a 404 (page not found) error if someone tries to access an address that no longer exists. Once a page is deleted, it cannot be visited because it ceases to exist. The server no longer provides its content.
Impact SEO: The site will gradually cease to be indexed by search engines, but it may take weeks or even months before it is completely removed from search results. Even after a page has been removed, crawl errors may appear in the Google Search Console.
Page de-indexing (removal of a page from Google)
To de-index a page means to remove it from the search engine results (index), but without physically removing it from the server. The page still exists and is accessible to users who know its URL, but Google's search engine stops displaying it in search results.
The impact of SEO: The page does not appear in search results, but users can still visit it if they know its URL. Being de-indexed does not mean the page is removed from the server, so it can still be updated and even re-indexed in the future.
When is it worth considering deleting a page?
The page contains outdated or erroneous information
If you have content on your site that is outdated, misleading or incorrect and it doesn't make sense to update it, removing the page may be the right decision. This could include outdated listings, articles that are no longer relevant, or information about events that have taken place.
Pages with incorrect information can mislead users and negatively affect the reputation of a company or website.
Poor quality content or duplicates
Pages that contain low-quality content (e.g. a short, incomplete article) or duplicate content may adversely affect the positioning the entire site.
The site leads to legal problems or violates Google's rules
If a site contains content that violates copyright, privacy, image rights or other legal principles, its removal is necessary. Violations may lead to legal notifications and Google may remove the site from the index or impose other sanctions.
End of product or offer life cycle
If a page is about a product or service that is discontinued, it may be better to remove such a page so as not to confuse users. Leaving such pages active can cause frustration for users who come across outdated offers, as well as complicating site navigation.
Poor website reputation
It is worth considering removing a page that generates negative associations, has low user reviews or has been attacked by spam (e.g. contain malware, phishing) to protect the reputation of the site. A site's poor reputation can negatively impact overall SEO performance and user trust.
Site migration or reorganisation
When you reorganise your site or move to a new platform, some pages may be replaced by newer versions. If this is the case, removing old URLs that are no longer in use is advisable. Maintaining outdated URLs can lead to duplicate content issues and negatively affect crawling by Google.
How do I remove a page from Google?
Removing a page from Google's search results can be done in several ways, depending on whether you want to remove the page temporarily, permanently or simply prevent it from appearing in search results.
Temporary removal of a page using Google Search Console
If you wish to temporarily remove a page from Google's search results, you can use the option in the Google Search Console:
Steps:
- Sign in to Google Search Console
- Choose your site.
- In the menu on the left, find the section "Removal" (under the tab "Indexing").
- Click "New demand" and enter the URL of the page you wish to remove from Google's index.
- Choose one of the options:
- Temporary removal of the URL - removes the page from Google's search results for up to six months, while blocking its display in the cache.
- Cache deletion - removes the copy of the page stored in Google's cache, but not the page itself from the search results.
Adding the "noindex" tag in the page code
Tag noindex is a tag that tells Google's robots that a page should not be indexed, i.e. it should not appear in search results.
Steps:
- Open file HTML the page you wish to delete.
- Add in the section
the meta tag below:
- Save the changes and make sure the page is published with this tag.
- Report again indexing of the site in Google Search Consoleso that Google can quickly update the status of the page:
- Enter Google Search Console, select a site.
- Enter the URL of the page in the box at the top (URL inspector).
- Click "Ask for indexing" - Google will check the changes and apply the noindex tag.
When to use:
- When you want to permanently exclude a page from Google search results, but not physically remove it from the server.
- When a page should still be accessible to people who know the direct URL, but you do not want it to appear in search results.
Blocking the page in the robots.txt file
File robots.txt allows Google robots to block access to selected pages, in effect preventing them from being indexed.
Steps:
- Open or create a file
robots.txt
in the site's main directory. - Add the following command to it to block a specific site:
txt
User-agent: *Disallow: /your-page/
- Save the changes to the server.
When to use
- When you want Google to stop visiting a specific page, but the page remains accessible to users who have direct access to it link.
- Attention: If the page has already been indexed, simply blocking it on file
robots.txt
will not cause it to be indexed. You will also need to apply a noindex tag or report the removal in Google Search Console.
Permanent deletion of a page (deletion of a file or URL)
If you want to completely remove a page from the internet and Google's search results, you can do so by permanently deleting the page files or deactivating the URL.
Steps:
- Remove page files from the server or disable the URL (e.g. via server configuration).
- Ensure that the server returns an error code 404 (Not Found) or 410 (Gone) for the deleted URL.
- In Google Search Console, report this URL for re-indexing (this can be done in the URL inspector) so that Google quickly notes the changes.
- It is also worth configuring 301 redirect from the deleted page to the corresponding current page, if there is another page that replaces the deleted page.
When to use:
- When the site is no longer needed and you want to permanently remove it from the network.
- When the page contained sensitive data or information that must be deleted immediately.
Deletion for violation of privacy or the law
If you want to remove a page from Google for privacy, copyright or other legal reasons, Google offers a tool for reporting such cases.
Steps:
- Visit the website: Google content reporting tool
- Select the reason why you want to delete the page, e.g. breach of privacy, personal data or other.
- Complete the form and provide relevant evidence.
When to use:
- When the website contains illegal content, personal data, violates copyright or other laws.
Alternatives to the deletion of the site
- Content update: Instead of deleting the page, it can be updated, adapting it to current requirements.
- Redirects (301): If a page has significant SEO value, a 301 redirect to a new, updated page can be used. This will preserve its SEO value.
- De-indexing: In cases where a page should not be removed but you do not want it to appear in search results, a better solution may be to de-index it, allowing you to retain access but without appearing in Google.
Before you decide to remove a page, check out other options
Managing a website's visibility on Google requires thoughtful action, especially if its content can negatively impact SEO, reputation or user safety. Removing a page from a search engine is not always the best solution - sometimes de-indexing a page or updating it is a better choice. Before deciding to permanently remove, consider what implications this may have for your site and whether there are other options that will better meet your needs. It is also worth bearing in mind that Google will not always immediately remove a page from search results, so it is important to patiently monitor the process to ensure you achieve the desired effect.