Why is Google .ca ranking different than .com?

[grhealy]

I am puzzled as to why my keyword phrase is consistently ranked either 2nd or 3rd on Google.ca but is nowhere to be found on Google.com. This website is now over a year old.

I am located in Canada and have done some research on IP addresses. Everyone seems to think that it doesn't matter where you are located when it comes to rank, which makes me wonder why there is this difference.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be going on? I should also mention that my host/server is located in the USA.

Grant

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by grhealy

Everyone seems to think that it doesn't matter where you are located when it comes to rank

"Everyone" is mistaken.

Is the site in question a .ca domain-name? If so, it's always likely to rank higher on Google.ca, even if it's hosted in the US.

[wrongnumber]

the answer to your question that your website has different ranking for Google canada and google US is pretty simple...

geographically the Google is divided into multiple clones, and changes to one clone, is imitated by all others... its a pretty simple concept if you are a computer science student... but simply put each clone of Google is responsible for gathering data around itself... and not only update the local database but the central database too, this clone thing helps speed up the process, both in serving search results and scanning the web, like the google canada will scan all the pages in the geographically i.e in canada, and will accordingly rate the pages, where they should land in the search results...

Getting a higher rank in Google Canada is easily possible because, canada hosts less of websites, plus there less local search results to be displayed... where as the google us, your search results might even vary from state to state... keeping the stiff competition in mind... so the search ranking is indicative only... and no1 search ranking in all google geographic domains... is only possible by the giants like... hp/facebook/wikipedia/google itself/etc...

I hope i made the point...

Thanx
PS: you will have to visualize the big picture to understand how google is working right now... i have tried to remain as clear as possible...

[grhealy]

Thanks for your comments.

The site I mention is actually a .org domain and is hosted by Host Gator in the USA.

[kiddoman]

Google consider the website from some local situation! You know that Google gain different servers in different countries and areas! They may collect the information of your web from different local places. That is why you see the differences between your Google rank! Even the cookies of your browser may affect the search result!

[ocvseo]

Originally Posted by grhealy

I am puzzled as to why my keyword phrase is consistently ranked either 2nd or 3rd on Google.ca but is nowhere to be found on Google.com. This website is now over a year old.

I am located in Canada and have done some research on IP addresses. Everyone seems to think that it doesn't matter where you are located when it comes to rank, which makes me wonder why there is this difference.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be going on? I should also mention that my host/server is located in the USA.

Grant

Remember that each google website have his own data center, the data center effect the SERP result.

[Adam King]

I have the opposite problem - I rank well in google.com for my keyword, but I'm trying to rank in .ca for a local search. However, my listing doesn't appear until page 7 for google.ca, whereas I'm #1 in google.com.

This would normally be a great problem to have, except that Google defaults to the .ca version for browsers in Canada. Will it just be a matter of time before my ranking on the .ca version matches the .com version, or do I have to be more proactive?

[Alex Paul]

Hi Adam, facing the same issue as you... rank well on Google.com but locally (google.co.uk) I have to dig deep. Let me know if you receive an answer on your question. Thx, Alex

[paulgl]

The first question you should ask yourself, is why does
google have a country specific search engine for many
countries ? (countries that matter, of course)

Then ask yourself why they don't have one for the United States?

Your site is obviously related to Canada somehow. Either deliberately,
or accidentally. Since we don't know the site, we have have no idea
what the connection to Canada is.

If you did a little digging and checking, you probably would realize
why google.ca thinks your site is a Canadian site. Either that, or
you are getting personalized results that are being skewed.

The first tip off is, you admit YOU are located in Canada.

I have a hunch that you have content links that are for Canada.

Do you have a Canadian email address that is published on your site?
Even that would trigger "Canada."

Canadian links, articles, even references to Canadian people, places,
and things?

You need to check your site and rid it of every reference to anything
Canadian. If, however, you want to leave said content there, well,
now we know the rest of the story.

Here's a long shot. Did you specify a country in webmaster tools?

Does the code have any references to Canada?

Do you have a resource box that gives info on you, and talks about
Canada in any way, shape, or form?

Hard to say.

To the flip-siders: If you want to rank in canada.ca, have a .ca and
a Canadian host.

Paul

[warrich]

That is because in the google ca the ranking that is much more important to the geographical area will show up more than those compared to the rest of the world. Think of it like there is a certain pizza parlour in your area that you want to search for, this parlour will have a different and better ranking than when I would search for it from half way around the world using my own local Google. That is why the local Google and the International Google have different results.

[Vancouver Videographer]

I've got the same problem. I'm a Canadian company with a .ca domain but I rank higher on Google.com than I do on Google.ca. I have my webmaster tools set to Canada and have my address on my website.

Any ideas? Pretty much all my competitors have .com web addresses.

I'm guessing that possibly I have too many US links (I write and blog for international publications) but from what I can see from my competitors, they are similarly US centric on their links.

[StoneWilson]

There are lots of threads talking about "google local search" and "local search results" in forum, you should check them and I'm sure it will be helpful.