How AI Search Gives Old Negative Content New Life and What to Do About It

Anthony Will, CEO of Reputation Resolutions, explains in Search Engine Land how AI Overviews and generative search tools are resurfacing outdated negative articles that had faded from traditional search results. Unlike older reputation management approaches focused on burying negative content, AI systems continue treating negative news articles as reliable sources even when they no longer rank prominently, allowing a single story from years ago to shape how AI describes a business. Will outlines five practical strategies: diversify credible sources across trusted platforms, respond proactively to controversies before they spread, create citation-worthy content that outcompetes negative pieces, monitor your brand visibility on AI platforms monthly, and leverage tools like removenews.ai and Otterly.ai to track citations and request article removal.