Local Search Google Rankings Discrepancies... sync issues?
I've noticed discrepancies in ranking results for awhile now on Google... before google really hyper focused on local... as far as I can tell, as early as 2009 when I got started in local search. Has anyone noticed the discrepancies in local search ranking results among the various platforms, apps, mediums? It's not consistent in every category, BUT I have found the discrepancies to mostly be among: google "everything," google "maps," google "places" to name a few. I was curious and put together my findings in one place taking into consideration the various apps/platforms that I have access to for testing. I have looked at the major places people might do local search (in no particular order):
1. google "everything"
2. google "maps"
3. google "places"
4. google mobile web (defaults to places on a "local type search" - i.e., hair salon san antonio)
5. Android Places app
6. iOS Places app
7. iOS Maps app (have not tested how search is done on iPhone 4gs)
You might want to do a search on a highly competitive category on your own and see what kind of results you find.
NOTE: the search result rankings varied from platform/app to platform/app on a common search query. In this example, I used: "hair salon san antonio" - the discrepancy is subtle, but you may find it more noticeable depending on geo and business category (or even keyword - which I did not drill down into for this post).
DID YOU KNOW?
Furthermore, in case you haven't noticed, search result rankings vary (just on google "everything" as an example/scenario) when you search "hair salon" vs. "hair salon" +location (city, zip or county). of course, I assume the rankings vary across the various apps/platforms as well. ranking results definitely differ on kw alone vs. kw + location (city | zip | county | state...)
Here are my results from my query: hair salon san antonio on google only...
this can get confusing... but no worries... I wrapped it all up in the end
****
#1. [google: EVERYTHING (desktop)]
query: hair salon san antonio
NOTICE POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs Salon", D:"Style America," E:"Personal Touch..."
vs.
#2. [google: PLACES (desktop)]
query: hair salon san antonio
POSITION - C:"Aveda Lifestyle...," D:"Hair Affairs...," E:"Marcel Salon..."
vs.
#3. [google: MAP - results ranking also match Places App on Android Phone AND mobile web on android]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs" (matches "everything"), D:"Marcel Salon", E:"Style America"
vs.
#4. [iOS Places App - matches google "EVERYTHING" rankings]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs," D:"Style America,", E:"Personal Touch"
vs.
#5. [iOS Maps App - matches #3]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs," D:"Marcel Salon," E:"Style America"
-- notice that google shoves in an ad at the top of the list results... gotta work the adwords!
***
SO WHAT? (just some observations, thots... please feel free to add your thots!)
1. does google mix up the results to keep us on our toes or is it just a db sync thing that they will eventually address one day? I suspect it might be a part of the randomness to keep us on our toes...
2. do you know where the most recent change results show first? Once upon a time, I estimated it was in the maps results... I haven't paid attention closely over the past few months... maybe it's still the same place where any changes are shown first.
3. I do know that (from this ONE test query) "everything results" STILL DOES NOT ALWAYS = "map results" rankings... but maps results eventually trickle out to "everything" (default search) results.
4. does this matter? maybe it's not critical, BUT it is good to know what you're looking at and maybe even "when in time and what's to come" IF maps changes first and "everything" updates shortly after... how long of a diff to sync? I haven't measured.... anyone?
5. brings new meaning to page1 local serp... it depends where you look! I suppose there could be an argument made for "everything" vs "places" and even mobile and apps!
6. you can even be on page 1 depending on what your geo ip is AND if you don't modify by location...
oh ya... here's a summary of my findings:
but even then, I don't know if that even really helps anything. haha...
1. google "everything"
2. google "maps"
3. google "places"
4. google mobile web (defaults to places on a "local type search" - i.e., hair salon san antonio)
5. Android Places app
6. iOS Places app
7. iOS Maps app (have not tested how search is done on iPhone 4gs)
You might want to do a search on a highly competitive category on your own and see what kind of results you find.
NOTE: the search result rankings varied from platform/app to platform/app on a common search query. In this example, I used: "hair salon san antonio" - the discrepancy is subtle, but you may find it more noticeable depending on geo and business category (or even keyword - which I did not drill down into for this post).
DID YOU KNOW?
Furthermore, in case you haven't noticed, search result rankings vary (just on google "everything" as an example/scenario) when you search "hair salon" vs. "hair salon" +location (city, zip or county). of course, I assume the rankings vary across the various apps/platforms as well. ranking results definitely differ on kw alone vs. kw + location (city | zip | county | state...)
Here are my results from my query: hair salon san antonio on google only...
this can get confusing... but no worries... I wrapped it all up in the end
****
#1. [google: EVERYTHING (desktop)]
query: hair salon san antonio
NOTICE POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs Salon", D:"Style America," E:"Personal Touch..."
vs.
#2. [google: PLACES (desktop)]
query: hair salon san antonio
POSITION - C:"Aveda Lifestyle...," D:"Hair Affairs...," E:"Marcel Salon..."
vs.
#3. [google: MAP - results ranking also match Places App on Android Phone AND mobile web on android]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs" (matches "everything"), D:"Marcel Salon", E:"Style America"
vs.
#4. [iOS Places App - matches google "EVERYTHING" rankings]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs," D:"Style America,", E:"Personal Touch"
vs.
#5. [iOS Maps App - matches #3]
POSITION - C:"Hair Affairs," D:"Marcel Salon," E:"Style America"
-- notice that google shoves in an ad at the top of the list results... gotta work the adwords!
***
SO WHAT? (just some observations, thots... please feel free to add your thots!)
1. does google mix up the results to keep us on our toes or is it just a db sync thing that they will eventually address one day? I suspect it might be a part of the randomness to keep us on our toes...
2. do you know where the most recent change results show first? Once upon a time, I estimated it was in the maps results... I haven't paid attention closely over the past few months... maybe it's still the same place where any changes are shown first.
3. I do know that (from this ONE test query) "everything results" STILL DOES NOT ALWAYS = "map results" rankings... but maps results eventually trickle out to "everything" (default search) results.
4. does this matter? maybe it's not critical, BUT it is good to know what you're looking at and maybe even "when in time and what's to come" IF maps changes first and "everything" updates shortly after... how long of a diff to sync? I haven't measured.... anyone?
5. brings new meaning to page1 local serp... it depends where you look! I suppose there could be an argument made for "everything" vs "places" and even mobile and apps!
6. you can even be on page 1 depending on what your geo ip is AND if you don't modify by location...
oh ya... here's a summary of my findings:
but even then, I don't know if that even really helps anything. haha...