Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work
What Does “Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work” Talk About?
In this episode of the Online Reputation Management Podcast, James Dooley and Kasra Dash walk through the most practical and effective methods for removing bad or harmful content from the internet. They cover direct outreach strategies using tools like hunter.io to contact site owners and journalists, DMCA takedowns for unlicensed content, and the role of legal professionals in addressing slander or misinformation. The conversation makes clear that while removal is always the first goal, it is not always guaranteed, and suppression through positive-sentiment SEO is often the most reliable long-term solution.
The episode distinguishes between personal and business ORM, offering tailored advice for each. For individuals dealing with mugshots or past issues, maintaining active social profiles, posting updated images, and having a personal website can help push negative results down in Google rankings. For businesses, the focus is on maintaining directory listings, building profile accounts across platforms, and responding professionally to negative reviews. Both approaches share the same underlying principle: proactive reputation building creates a buffer that makes it much harder for damaging content to dominate search results.
James and Kasra close the episode by emphasising that the best time to start building a positive online presence is before any crisis occurs. They describe this approach as building a protective moat around your name or brand. With 15, 20, or even 100 positive mentions such as press coverage, awards, and achievements already indexed, any attempt to sabotage a reputation becomes significantly less effective. Listeners are also pointed toward FatRank.com for professional ORM analysis covering both personal branding and corporate branding.
“If negative press comes out in two years, the best time to build positive content is now — you're building a protective moat around your name.”
— Kasra Dash
Who Are the Guests on “Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work”?
James Dooley is a seasoned SEO and digital marketing professional and co-founder of FatRank, a specialist agency offering online reputation management services. He is known for his practical, results-driven approach to search engine optimisation and brand visibility, and hosts this podcast to share actionable strategies for managing and improving how individuals and businesses appear online.
Kasra Dash is an ORM specialist and frequent collaborator with James Dooley on topics related to digital reputation, SEO, and content strategy. With deep experience handling reputation cases for both individuals and businesses, Kasra brings hands-on insight into what actually works when it comes to removing harmful content, suppressing negative search results, and building a resilient online presence.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Direct outreach to the publisher of harmful content using tools like hunter.io is one of the first and most accessible steps in the removal process.
- DMCA takedowns can be effective for removing unlicensed images or content but are not guaranteed to succeed in every case.
- Publishing positive-sentiment articles and content to outrank negative results is a reliable strategy for pushing harmful pages to page two or three of Google, where they receive almost no visibility.
- ORM applies differently to individuals and businesses, with personal reputation management focusing on active social profiles and a personal website, while business ORM emphasises directory listings and professional review responses.
- The most effective reputation management is proactive rather than reactive, building a large volume of positive online mentions before any negative press has a chance to emerge.
“Most entrepreneurs have very few articles about them. If you create 15, 20, or even 100 positive mentions — awards, achievements, press — it becomes much harder for someone to sabotage your name.”
— Kasra Dash
Is “Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work” Worth Listening To?
This episode is worth listening to because it cuts through the confusion around online reputation management and delivers a clear, step-by-step framework that both individuals and businesses can actually use. Rather than speaking in vague generalities, James and Kasra walk through specific tools like hunter.io, explain when legal letters are appropriate, and draw a clear line between when to pursue removal versus when to focus on suppression. The distinction between personal ORM and business ORM alone makes this episode valuable, as most content on this topic treats them as identical challenges.
What sets this episode apart is its emphasis on playing offence rather than defence. The idea of building a protective moat through proactive content creation is a mindset shift that many business owners and public figures have never considered. Whether you are dealing with an active reputation problem or simply want to future-proof your name or brand, the practical guidance here is immediately actionable. For anyone who has ever searched their own name and found something they did not like, this episode provides a realistic roadmap for what to do next.
Who Should Listen to “Delete Bad Press: ORM Strategies That Actually Work”?
This episode is ideal for:
- Business owners and entrepreneurs who want to protect their brand reputation before a crisis occurs
- Individuals dealing with mugshots, past legal issues, or unwanted personal content appearing in search results
- Marketing professionals and SEO practitioners looking to expand their service offerings into online reputation management
- Anyone who has recently discovered harmful, false, or outdated content about themselves or their company online
Where Can You Listen to Online Reputation Management Podcast?
You can listen to Online Reputation Management Podcast on all major podcast platforms:
- Apple Podcasts – Search for “Online Reputation Management Podcast” in the Podcasts app
- Spotify – Available on Spotify for free
- Amazon Music / Audible – Listen through your Amazon account
- Overcast – For iOS users who prefer a dedicated podcast app
- Pocket Casts – Cross-platform podcast player
You can also subscribe using the RSS feed: https://feeds.transistor.fm/online-reputation-management-podcast
What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“Really practical episode. I had no idea tools like hunter.io could be used to find journalist contact details for removal requests. The breakdown of personal versus business ORM was exactly what I needed to understand which strategy applied to my situation.”
“The concept of building a protective moat before negative press even appears completely changed how I think about my online presence. Kasra's point about having 100 positive mentions making it nearly impossible to damage your name was eye-opening.”
“Straightforward and no-nonsense. James and Kasra don't just talk theory — they explain DMCA takedowns, legal letters, and SEO suppression in a way that actually makes sense. Bookmarking this one to share with clients.”
James Dooley: Online reputation management — how to remove bad or harmful content on the internet. People always ask: “I don’t want this displayed to anyone. What’s the best way to get it removed?” The best time to start your positive reputation work is right now. Today I’m joined by Kasra, and our topic is how to remove bad content online. Kasra Dash: This is one of the most common questions we get. Someone has a piece of content they don’t want visible — so how do we remove it? There are a few rules of thumb. First: reach out to the person who published the article. Tools like hunter.io let you plug in a domain and get emails of the journalists or site owners. For example, if it’s johnxyz.com, you can email John and ask for the content to be removed. In that email, explain how it affects your life — like job opportunities. That increases the success rate. You can also do DMCA takedowns, especially if the image or content isn’t owned by the journalist. But it’s not 100% guaranteed. Sometimes, the best option is to outrank the negative content with more positive articles about you. James Dooley: Exactly. You can publish positive-sentiment articles and images that outrank the harmful ones so they drop to page two on Google — which is basically the “dead zone.” Also, top ORM companies have lawyers who can check articles for misinformation and send legal letters. Kasra Dash: Yes — doing it yourself is tough because you might not know what to write. If the article contains slander or misinformation, lawyers can push for removal. The best ORM agencies will both try to remove the content AND push it down to page two or three with positive sentiment articles.
There are two sides to ORM: personal and business.
Personal ORM - If someone has mugshots or past issues online, they should: - Keep personal Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. active - Post updated images Have a personal website This helps Google rank your profiles above older negative articles. Business ORM Businesses should: - Have many business profile accounts and directory listings - Respond to negative reviews politely This builds trust with potential customers. James Dooley: So, do you think all business owners should be proactive instead of reactive? Kasra Dash: Definitely. If negative press comes out in two years, the best time to build positive content is now — you're building a protective moat around your name. Most entrepreneurs have very few articles about them. If you create 15, 20, or even 100 positive mentions — awards, achievements, press — it becomes much harder for someone to sabotage your name. James Dooley: If anyone wants proactive ORM, or needs harmful images, mugshots, or Google autosuggest cleaned up, get in touch with FatRank.com. Fill in the form, and we’ll analyse how you look online — both personal branding and corporate branding. We offer full online reputation management services.
Creators & Guests
Host
James Dooley is the founder of the Online Reputation Management Podcast. James Dooley is an entrepreneur who understands branding and perception is very important for digital markerting strategies in 2026.…