Old prices, an old address, a service you stopped offering, a page you deleted months ago. When outdated information about your business still shows up in Google, it confuses customers and can cost you enquiries. The good news is that you can usually fix it, and often faster than you think.

This guide explains how to remove outdated content from Google: the difference between content on your own website and on other people’s, the tools Google provides, the right technical fixes for old pages, and how to stop it happening again after a website redesign.

Why outdated content stays in Google

Google does not see changes the moment you make them. It revisits pages on its own schedule, so an old page, title or description can stay in the results for days or weeks after you change or delete it. Sometimes it stays much longer because:

• The old page still exists somewhere on your site, even if nothing links to it.
• The old URL returns a normal page (often your home page) instead of a proper “not found” or redirect.
• Other websites, directories or social profiles still show the old information.
• Your sitemap still lists old URLs.

What we see after website redesigns

At Delivered Social, the most common time we see outdated content in Google is straight after a new website goes live. The new site looks great, but the old pages, old URLs and sometimes old prices are still sitting in Google. Customers click them and land on an error page, or worse, on information that is no longer true.

It nearly always comes down to the same thing: nobody planned what should happen to the old URLs. That is why the redirect plan later in this guide matters so much.

First: is the content on your website or someone else’s?

The fix depends on who controls the page.

• On your own website: you can update, redirect or remove the page yourself, then ask Google to recrawl it. This is the most reliable route.
• On someone else’s website: you will need to ask the site owner to update or remove it. If they already have, but Google is still showing the old version, you can use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool.

How to remove outdated content from your own website

If the information has changed

Update the page (for example, new prices or opening hours), then ask Google to look again:

1. Open Google Search Console.
2. Paste the page URL into the “Inspect any URL” bar at the top.
3. Click Request indexing.

Google usually picks up the new version within a few days.

If the page has moved or been replaced

Set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the most relevant new page. This sends visitors and search engines to the right place and passes on most of the old page’s value. Do not redirect everything to your home page. Redirect each old page to its closest match.

If the page should be gone for good

• Return a 404 (not found) or 410 (gone) status for that URL. A 410 tells Google the removal is deliberate and permanent.
• Remove it from your XML sitemap and from any internal links.

If the page must stay but should not appear in Google

Add a noindex tag to the page. Google will drop it from results the next time it crawls the page. Do not block the page in robots.txt at the same time, or Google cannot see the noindex instruction.

Using Google’s Removals tool for urgent cases

If a page on your own site needs to disappear from Google quickly, for example it shows personal information or a serious mistake, use the Removals tool in Search Console:

1. In Search Console, go to Indexing > Removals.
2. Click New request and enter the URL.
3. Choose whether to remove just that URL or everything starting with that prefix.
4. Submit.

This hides the page from Google for around six months. It is a temporary fix, so you still need to update, redirect, noindex or delete the page properly during that time.

Removing outdated content on other websites

If an old directory listing, article or review site shows out-of-date information about your business:

1. Ask the site owner to update or remove it. Many directories let you claim the listing and edit it yourself.
2. Once the page has changed or gone, use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool. Enter the URL, and Google will check the live page and update or remove the old version in its results.
3. If the old content is still live, the tool cannot help. You will need the site owner to change it.

Old business listings are a common culprit. Our guide to UK citation sites explains how to find and fix them.

Removing outdated personal information

If search results show your personal contact details, such as a home address or phone number, Google has a separate process called Results about you, which lets you request removal of certain personal information from search results. Google also has legal removal request forms for content that may be unlawful.

Fixing outdated Google Business Profile information

Often the “outdated content” people notice first is in the map listing, not the website. Log in to your Google Business Profile and update your address, phone number, hours, services, photos and description. Then check Apple Maps, Bing Places and Facebook too. Our guide to Google Business Profile optimisation covers this.

How to avoid outdated content after a website redesign

1. List every old URL before the new site goes live, using Search Console, your sitemap or a crawler.
2. Map each old URL to a new one in a spreadsheet.
3. Set up 301 redirects for every URL that has a new home. Let pages with no replacement return a 404 or 410.
4. Update internal links so they point straight to new URLs.
5. Submit the new sitemap in Search Console.
6. Check Search Console after launch for 404 errors and fix any you missed.
7. Update business listings if your address, phone number or business name has changed.

How long does it take?

• Requesting indexing after an update: usually a few days.
• Removals tool: often within a day, but temporary.
• Refresh Outdated Content tool: from a few days to a few weeks.
• Redirected or deleted pages dropping out naturally: anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how often Google crawls your site.

Frequently asked questions about removing outdated content from Google

How do I remove an old page from Google search results?

If it is your page, redirect it to a relevant new page or make it return a 404 or 410, then request indexing in Search Console. For urgent cases, use the Removals tool as a temporary fix.

Why is Google still showing my old prices?

Google has not recrawled the page since you changed it. Request indexing in Search Console. If the prices appear in the description, also check your page’s meta description.

Can I remove content from Google that is on another website?

Only if the content has already been changed or removed by the site owner. Then you can use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool.

Should I redirect deleted pages to my home page?

No. Redirect each old page to the most relevant new page. If there is no relevant replacement, let it return a 404 or 410.

Does deleting old pages hurt SEO?

Not if you do it properly. Redirecting useful pages and removing genuinely obsolete ones can actually help, because Google focuses on your best, most current content.

Keep what Google shows about you accurate

Outdated content is frustrating, but it is usually fixable. Update or redirect pages on your own site, ask other sites to correct their information, use Google’s tools where they apply, and plan your redirects carefully whenever your website changes.

If you are planning a new website and want to avoid losing your rankings, our web design and SEO teams can help. Get in touch, or find more practical guides on the Delivered Social website.