Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches?

JGK · 07-29-2010, 02:08 PM

I am doing some SEO work for a company locally and as you can imagine I have visited their site quite a bit, its bookmarked etc. (I use Firefox).

I have noticed that my stats software eg the remarkably reliable Mkt Samurai says the site should be #12 and yet for me the site shows up at #2. I called someone to do the same search and it came up as #12.

I can only think that somewhere there is a setting in Firefox or Google that biases the results toward sites I visit most...now I can get that that's great for consumers but not so hot for me as an SEO'er as I want to see where the listing shows up as if I were doing the search for the first time.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Bill Farnham · 07-29-2010, 02:13 PM

Google will serve up what can best be described as 'personal results' based on your past searches.

So the answer is yes.

~Bill

fushigi · 07-29-2010, 02:16 PM

Hello! Yes, I had the exact same situation. For some reason google does skew the results. Try downloading the firefox plug-in called "google global" it will allow you to search with accurate results. You could also try using a proxy or hidemyass.com these were both suggested to me and worked very well to solve the problem.

Khadaji · 07-29-2010, 02:19 PM

Ditto what the others say... you can't get accurate results, because Google is attempting to tailor the results you get with what you yourself have indicated that you're looking for in the past.

This really confused me too at first - but it's merely another way that Google is trying to best all other search engines, by providing the absolutely best possible experience to users... unfortunately, that can fool us if we are really looking at SERP results.

JGK · 07-29-2010, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fushigi

Hello! Yes, I had the exact same situation. For some reason google does skew the results. Try downloading the firefox plug-in called "google global" it will allow you to search with accurate results. You could also try using a proxy or hidemyass.com these were both suggested to me and worked very well to solve the problem.

Thanks for the responses. So i am NOT crazy. Phew
If I download any more plugins for Firefox it will croak

I'll see what Google Global does.

I jumped on HidemyAss and found its very anonymity worked against me as it still assigns an IP address somewhere in the US ....so then I end up with local results for that IP...no good.
I still want to search locally but without the bias.

JK

sanssecret · 07-29-2010, 02:33 PM

If you don't want to use the FF plugin, there's a search string you can use.

How to Turn Google Personalized Search Results Off Without Logging Out | SEO Book.com

JGK · 07-29-2010, 02:53 PM

Found this about turning off Google personalization/stars

Matt Cutts said you can turn off Google's personalized web search results by adding &pws=0 to the URL of a search query.
Or
Log out of your Google account

dahlgren_m · 07-29-2010, 02:55 PM

I also struggled with this problem for some time. I am using chrome and Firefox.

Their is a couple of things you can do besides installing a plugin ( I haven't tested the plugin ).

So as you probably already figured out google uses the browser's history to measure keywoords to relevant site's you click on a lot.

If you delete all history you should get pretty accurate results again.
What I do is, I use google chrome for most of my webmaster work and firefox as my keyword researcher and backlinking. In firefox you can switch on "never remember history" or something like that. Seo Quake works better with firefox also.

There is probably a easier way of doing this, like using a plugin.

JGK · 07-29-2010, 02:55 PM

[quote=sanssecret;2405408]If you don't want to use the FF plugin, there's a search string you can use.
How to Turn Google Personalized Search Results Off Without Logging Out | SEO Book.com

Thanks I didn't see your last post until I posted this from the same source

JGK · 08-20-2010, 09:39 AM

Still having a headache over non matching results from Market Samurai rank tracker and the results I see in my own Google Search ranking checks.

Market Samurai says I should be #12 for a keyword but my own search with all history off/logged out of google/adding &pws=0 and it shows me at #2
Is IP customization overriding everything?

AnnYM · 08-20-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fushigi

Hello! Yes, I had the exact same situation. For some reason google does skew the results. Try downloading the firefox plug-in called "google global" it will allow you to search with accurate results. You could also try using a proxy or hidemyass.com these were both suggested to me and worked very well to solve the problem.

even i struggled with this some months back- my client called me to say that he noticed the site had slipped in rankings- I told him thats not possible as I am monitoring it daily! turns out he was right and what an embarrassment for me

so then this friend of mine told me about this phenomenon and told me to try google global. if you don't want to download this you will have to delete all history and cookies and search again.

JGK · 08-20-2010, 09:55 AM

Thanks
How does Google Global help? What does it do?

07-29-2010, 02:16 PM	#3
fushigi HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 120 Thanks: 88 Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Hello! Yes, I had the exact same situation. For some reason google does skew the results. Try downloading the firefox plug-in called "google global" it will allow you to search with accurate results. You could also try using a proxy or hidemyass.com these were both suggested to me and worked very well to solve the problem.

07-29-2010, 02:19 PM	#4
Khadaji HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Oxnard, Ca, USA. Posts: 205 Thanks: 56 Thanked 53 Times in 47 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Ditto what the others say... you can't get accurate results, because Google is attempting to tailor the results you get with what you yourself have indicated that you're looking for in the past. This really confused me too at first - but it's merely another way that Google is trying to best all other search engines, by providing the absolutely best possible experience to users... unfortunately, that can fool us if we are really looking at SERP results.

07-29-2010, 02:33 PM	#6
sanssecret Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Home Posts: 600 Thanks: 332 Thanked 250 Times in 119 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? If you don't want to use the FF plugin, there's a search string you can use. How to Turn Google Personalized Search Results Off Without Logging Out \| SEO Book.com
	San The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. ~Muhammad Ali

07-29-2010, 02:53 PM	#7
JGK Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West of Boston MA Posts: 56 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Found this about turning off Google personalization/stars Matt Cutts said you can turn off Google's personalized web search results by adding &pws=0 to the URL of a search query. Or Log out of your Google account

07-29-2010, 02:55 PM	#8
dahlgren_m HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Fredrikstad, Norway Posts: 128 Thanks: 3 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? I also struggled with this problem for some time. I am using chrome and Firefox. Their is a couple of things you can do besides installing a plugin ( I haven't tested the plugin ). So as you probably already figured out google uses the browser's history to measure keywoords to relevant site's you click on a lot. If you delete all history you should get pretty accurate results again. What I do is, I use google chrome for most of my webmaster work and firefox as my keyword researcher and backlinking. In firefox you can switch on "never remember history" or something like that. Seo Quake works better with firefox also. There is probably a easier way of doing this, like using a plugin.
	Last edited by dahlgren_m; 07-29-2010 at 02:56 PM. Reason: Grammar

07-29-2010, 02:08 PM	#1
JGK Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West of Boston MA Posts: 56 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? I am doing some SEO work for a company locally and as you can imagine I have visited their site quite a bit, its bookmarked etc. (I use Firefox). I have noticed that my stats software eg the remarkably reliable Mkt Samurai says the site should be #12 and yet for me the site shows up at #2. I called someone to do the same search and it came up as #12. I can only think that somewhere there is a setting in Firefox or Google that biases the results toward sites I visit most...now I can get that that's great for consumers but not so hot for me as an SEO'er as I want to see where the listing shows up as if I were doing the search for the first time. Anyone got any thoughts?

07-29-2010, 02:13 PM	#2
Bill Farnham Videos for the Web War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia, USA. Posts: 2,949 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 3,072 Thanked 3,291 Times in 1,598 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Google will serve up what can best be described as 'personal results' based on your past searches. So the answer is yes. ~Bill

08-20-2010, 09:39 AM	#10
JGK Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West of Boston MA Posts: 56 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Still having a headache over non matching results from Market Samurai rank tracker and the results I see in my own Google Search ranking checks. Market Samurai says I should be #12 for a keyword but my own search with all history off/logged out of google/adding &pws=0 and it shows me at #2 Is IP customization overriding everything?

08-20-2010, 09:55 AM	#12
JGK Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West of Boston MA Posts: 56 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Is the Google SERPs page affected by my previous searches? Thanks How does Google Global help? What does it do?