Google Results About You: Cut Personal Data Leaks in Search

If you have ever searched your name and found a phone number or home address you did not publish, you are not alone. Data brokers and old directory sites can pull details from public records, forgotten profiles, and scraped pages. Those pages can get indexed, which means they can show up in Google Search when a customer, neighbor, or competitor looks you up. Google Results About You gives you a way to respond when that exposure includes private contact details.

Google Results About You is Google’s built in tool that helps reduce those data leaks. It monitors Google Search for your personal contact info and lets you request removal from Search results when Google’s policies allow it. For family owned businesses in Oviedo and across Central Florida, this can be a simple step toward safer boundaries between your home life and your work life.

This guide explains what the tool does, what it does not do, and how to set it up in a way that works for small teams. You will also get a practical checklist you can reuse for employees, pastors, and volunteers who are public facing in your community.

What Google Results About You is

Google Results About You is a privacy feature inside your Google account. After you set it up, it watches Google Search for results that match personal information you provide, such as your phone number, home address, or personal email. When the system finds a match, it can alert you so you can review the result and request removal.

You can access it at goo.gle/resultsaboutyou while signed in. The tool is focused on reducing exposure in Google Search. It is not the same thing as deleting the information from the source website. Think of it as “remove from Google Search,” not “erase from the internet.” Google Results About You is most effective when you treat it as ongoing monitoring, not a one time cleanup.

That distinction matters. If a directory site still hosts your address, the page can keep circulating through other channels. But removing it from Search still reduces casual discovery and lowers the odds of harassment, scams, or unwanted visitors.

Why reducing data leaks matters in Oviedo

Central Florida is a tight knit place. In areas like Oviedo, Winter Springs, Chuluota, and Casselberry, people often find you through community ties. They may see you at Oviedo on the Park, the Farmers Market, or a UCF event. That is good for local relationships, but it can also increase exposure when your personal details are easy to find online.

For a small business, a data leak can create real problems. Google Results About You helps you reduce risk without changing the parts of your online presence that customers need.

• -Safety risks if a home address is attached to your name and business role.
• -Reputation risk when the wrong phone number shows up and customers reach a scammer or a dead line.
• -Time drain from spam calls, spoofed emails, and repeated clean up efforts.
• -Employee stress if public facing staff have their home information exposed.

Even if you use a storefront, many Florida businesses started as home based businesses. Old registrations can linger in online databases. Google Results About You helps you spot and reduce that exposure earlier.

What information it can find and alert you about

Google may vary the exact fields and availability by region and account type, but Google Results About You is designed around sensitive personal identifiers. In practice, the most helpful items for small business owners tend to be. Google Results About You is especially useful when a directory mixes your personal and business information on the same page.

• Personal phone numbers that are not meant to be customer facing.
• Home addresses, especially when you work from home or receive deliveries.
• Personal email addresses that attract spam and phishing.

It is also worth remembering what the tool generally does not target:

• -Public business addresses meant for customers.
• -Company phone numbers listed on your website and business profiles.
• -News coverage or editorial content about your business.

If your goal is to keep your business visible while keeping your family private, that split is helpful. You can protect personal contact points while still showing up for the searches you want, like “plumber near Oviedo” or “CPA in Seminole County.”

How Google Results About You works

Google Results About You has three jobs: monitor, notify, and guide you through removal requests.

1) Monitor

During setup in Google Results About You you provide the personal data you want to protect. Google uses that information to look for matches in Google Search results. You can include variations of your name, which helps if a directory lists a middle initial or an older last name.

2) Notify

When new matches appear, Google Results About You can get you alerts. This is the part most people miss. They do not know a new directory page exists until a friend tells them. Alerts help you catch exposure sooner, before it spreads to copycat sites.

3) Guide removal

Google Results About You brings you to a request flow that is connected to Google’s removal policies. Google still reviews requests. The tool does not remove everything on demand, but it makes the process easier to manage in one place.

If you want to read the underlying rules, Google explains removal options and policies in its help documentation and Search Central resources. Start with Google’s “Results about you” help page and the broader Search Central removal guidance.

How to set it up step by step

Set aside ten minutes. If you can, do the first setup in Google Results About You when you are not rushed. Use a desktop or laptop if you can, since it is easier to review results and open tabs.

Step 1: Sign in to the right Google account

If you have a personal Google account and a work Google account, decide which one makes sense for monitoring. Many owners use their personal account because it is tied to their name history. Staff members should use their own accounts for their own information.

Step 2: Open the tool and start monitoring

Visit goo.gle/resultsaboutyou while signed in, then follow the prompts to begin.

Step 3: Add the information you want to protect

Focus on personal data, not business listings. Add your personal phone number, home address, and personal email. If you use a PO box or a coworking address for business mail, do not add that unless you also want it hidden from Search.

Step 4: Turn on notifications

Choose email or app alerts so you do not miss new matches. This step matters more than people expect. Data brokers constantly refresh pages, so you want early warning.

Step 5: Review the first results carefully

Your initial scan may show older directory pages. Open each result and confirm the information is actually yours. Some people share names. If the page belongs to someone else, do not submit removal requests for it.

Related reading: if you also manage a Google Business Profile, keep your access secure by following a clean ownership and manager process. See how to add a manager to your Google Business Profile.

How removal requests are reviewed

When you submit a request in Google Results About You, Google reviews it against its policies. Approval is not guaranteed. In general, the tool is intended for sensitive personal contact info. If a page includes your home address and phone number, it is more likely to qualify than a simple mention of your name.

Also, removal is usually from Google Search, not from the hosting site. If you want the source page deleted, you must contact the site owner or follow that site’s opt out process. Many data broker sites have an opt out form, but it can take time and may require identity verification.

Practical tip: keep a simple log. Note the site name, date requested, and whether it was approved. That way you can follow up if the page returns.

Tips for small business owners

Owners in Seminole County often wear many hats. Google Results About You fits well into a quarterly admin day when you already review accounts and listings. You may do sales, invoices, and customer service. That means your name is visible in more places. Use these steps to reduce personal exposure without harming business visibility.

Use a separate business phone number

If your personal cell is listed on old directories, swap it out where you can. Use a business number for customer contact. This can be a dedicated mobile line, a VoIP number, or a call forwarding setup. The goal is to keep your personal number private while still answering customers quickly.

Use a business address for public listings

If you operate from home, consider options like a registered agent address, a mailbox service, or a shared office location. Be careful, though. Some platforms require a real service address. For local listings, follow platform rules so you do not create problems for your visibility.

Keep your website updated and secure

Some data leaks happen because old pages stay online after a redesign. An outdated contact page can list a personal email that you no longer use. Routine site care helps you spot these issues. If you want a quick overview of what “site care” includes, review hosting and maintenance options.

Audit citations and directories once per year

Local SEO often involves citations, which are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number across the web. If you did local SEO years ago, review those listings now. Make sure none of them contain personal contact details that should stay private.

If you want help planning those updates, see a local SEO content calendar for Oviedo businesses. Even though it is about content, the same calendar approach works for maintenance tasks like directory reviews.

A simple policy for your staff

Many small businesses and ministries rely on a few key people who are public facing. Think of the office manager, a real estate agent, a counselor, or a volunteer coordinator. When their personal information leaks, your organization can feel it too.

Here is a simple policy you can share with your team:

• Each staff member sets up Google Results About You for their own personal phone, address, and email.
• Staff do not use personal emails for public facing roles. Use role based emails when possible, like info@ or support@.
• Staff do not publish home addresses on bios, PDFs, or event pages.
• When a directory page appears, staff request removal in Google and also follow the site opt out process when needed.

Keep it simple. Your team does not need a long security manual. They need a repeatable routine that reduces risk.

A repeatable privacy checklist

Use this checklist once now, then again every six to twelve months. Google Results About You is the anchor for the monitoring step, but the source cleanup step still matters.

Search and capture

• -Search your name, your business name, and your phone number in Google.
• -Open results that look like people search directories or data brokers.
• -Screenshot anything that shows a home address or personal number.

Turn on monitoring

• -Set up Google Results About You at goo.gle/resultsaboutyou.
• -Enable notifications so new results do not surprise you later.

Request removal where it fits

• -Submit removal requests for results that show sensitive personal data.
• -Track requests in a note or spreadsheet with dates and outcomes.

Clean up the sources

• -Use opt out forms on data broker sites when available.
• -Update any directory listings you control so they show business contact info only.
• -Remove old PDFs or pages on your own website that include personal details.

Harden your public profiles

• -Use a business email for profiles like Google Business Profile, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
• -Use a business phone number for public contact and keep your personal number private.
• -Review who has admin access to key accounts at least twice per year.

FAQs about Google Results About You

Is Google Results About You free to use

Yes. It is a built in feature for eligible Google accounts. If you can access the dashboard at goo.gle/resultsaboutyou while signed in, you can use it without paying.

Will Google Results About You delete the page from the internet

No. It requests removal from Google Search results. The source page may still exist on the site that posted it.

How long do removal reviews take

Timing varies, but many requests are reviewed within a few days. Keep a log so you can check back if you do not see progress.

Can I use Google Results About You for my business address

Usually this tool is intended for personal information. If your business address is also your home address, you can still request removal for results that expose your home information, but outcomes depend on the specific result and policy fit.

What if the result is outdated or the page is gone

If the page has changed or no longer exists, you may need a different removal process for outdated content. Google’s Search Central documentation explains options for outdated pages and cache updates.

Should employees set this up too

Yes, especially if they interact with the public or have their names on your website. Each person should set up monitoring for their own details.

Does this hurt local SEO

Not when you use it for personal information. Local SEO relies on accurate business listings. The goal is to keep business contact details public while removing personal contact details that should never have been indexed.

Conclusion

Google Results About You is one of the easiest privacy wins available inside a Google account. It helps you discover personal data leaks early and gives you a clear path to request removal from Google Search when the result includes sensitive information. If you only do one privacy task this month, set up Google Results About You and enable alerts.

For small family businesses in Oviedo and Central Florida, the best approach is balanced. Keep your business visible and easy to contact, while keeping your personal phone, home address, and personal email out of Search results. A short routine every few months can reduce stress and lower risk for you and your team.