---
title: "Burying a search result"
description: "How reputation.com tries to push a damaging search result off page one of Google."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/burying-a-search-result/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Burying a search result

> How reputation.com tries to push a damaging search result off page one of Google.

Jon Ronson's framework, from So You've Been Publicly Shamed, pp. 156 to 162.

Framework 3 of 4 from [So You've Been Publicly Shamed](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/index.md) by Jon Ronson. Category: Personal brand.

## The steps

1. **Research the client's online life.** Find what exists besides the damaging item.
2. **Gather positive material.** Collect photos, hobbies and biographical details the client approves.
3. **Build high authority profiles.** Create LinkedIn, Tumblr, WordPress, Instagram and YouTube pages that Google already rates.
4. **Schedule content to look natural.** Publish on a strategic calendar so Google does not detect manipulation.
5. **Blast during reversion.** Add content when rankings wobble and the algorithm is uncertain.

## Where it comes from

From chapter: 14. Cats and Ice Cream and Music, pp. 156–162

Reputation.com's team builds a bland online life for Lindsey Stone, with Tumblrs, LinkedIn pages and blogs about cats, travel and ice cream, to push the photograph to page two of Google. Ronson explains how PageRank works and why Google rewards old and new content but dips in between. He compares the culture of social media watching to the Stasi, and ends by seeing Lindsey's search results transformed, though she must now censor her own humour.

## The animation

24 seconds, 4:5, no sound.

- MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/burying-a-search-result.mp4
- MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/burying-a-search-result-dark.mp4
- Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/burying-a-search-result.png
- Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed/burying-a-search-result-dark.png