Old Picture still appearing in search engines after months of changing it

[fonsofhervella]

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Hello,

Some months ago, I changed my Github picture. After that, I dropped that second picture. Though, the first picture, eliminated months ago, still appears in search engines. Does anyone know how to fix that?

Thanks!

[ThisIsMrIsmail]

Hello @fonsofhervella,

Search engines store old data: Think of it like a temporary library. It takes time to update with the new picture.
Check other websites: Did you use that old picture on other sites? If so, it might be saved there.

What to do:
Wait a bit: This often fixes itself over time.
Clear browser cache: This means deleting temporary internet files on your computer. (Instructions vary based on the browser you use).

Let me know if you still have trouble after a week or so!

[fonsofhervella]

Hello! i don't use that picture in other sites. It has been 4-5 months since picture removal, so I believe it will require some additional steps. It appears after clearing browser cache.

Many thanks!

[Lanrad23]

You can ask Google to look at your GitHub profile page again to update the old picture to the new one. To do this, use a tool called Google's URL Inspection in Google Search Console. If you don't already have an account for Google Search Console, it's a good idea to create one and show that you're the owner of your profile link. This helps Google know to update the picture they show in search results.

[Lanrad23]

One approach is to create a public GitHub repository and use it for verification. While this doesn't directly link to your GitHub profile, it does associate the repository with your account, which might be sufficient for your needs.
So, Create a new public repository. Inside this repository, create a file named google{your_verification_code}.html with the verification code provided by Google Search Console as its content.
Use GitHub Pages to publish this repository as a website. Google Search Console allows you to verify ownership through this method by recognizing the uploaded file.
Once you've successfully verified ownership of your GitHub account or associated domain/repository, you can request Google to recrawl your GitHub profile page. To do this, use the URL Inspection tool within Google Search Console. Enter the URL of your GitHub profile, and then request indexing. This signals to Google that they should revisit your profile page and update their cached version, which includes updating your profile picture.

[fonsofhervella]

Hello, it has worked perfectly. Now problem has been solved. Many thanks for your time.

[Lanrad23]

You are more than welcome. Any time!

[gnas01]

Hello, I am kinda stuck in this process. I created a new repository and uploaded the html file that google search provided.
I published the repository as a github page which has this URL -> https://gnas01.github.io/test/
I verified with google the ownsership of https://gnas01.github.io/test/, however when i try to paste my Github profile url inside the URL inspection tool it gives me the following error:

URL not in property
Inspect a URL in the currently selected property or switch properties

I suppose that I am missing a step?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[ullnorse]

Did you had any luck?

[wolflergf]

Check Alt Text: Ensure that the new profile picture on GitHub has descriptive text associated with it. This helps search engines understand what the image is about.

Submit Removal Request: Some search engines have tools where you can ask them to remove outdated content. Look for options like "remove outdated content" or "report a problem" on search engine websites.

Update Social Media: If you've changed your profile picture on GitHub, make sure to do the same on any other social media platforms you use. This can help search engines find and display the correct image.

Be Patient: It can take some time for search engines to update their results. Even after you've taken steps to update your profile picture, it might not change immediately.

By following these steps, you can hopefully get search engines to show your current profile picture instead of the old one.

[fonsofhervella]

Hi! Many thanks for your time. I have been able to solve it by linking a repo with google search console and requested reindexing. Thanks again!