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How do i get the "purest" search results (e.g. every personalization incl geographic turned OFF)

by domino66
8 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I want my Google SERPs to be as "pure" as possible, with every personalization / historical search weighting thing turned off (aka free from anything that might skew them so I can do apples-to-apples comparisons to track performance.) So what I do before I run a SERP audit is:
(1) I make sure I'm signed OUT of Google
(2) I clear my browser (Chrome) cache and all cookies
(3) I go here: Google Opt Out to DISABLE customizations based on search activity.

HOWEVER, there is still SOME personalization going on, AT LEAST GEOGRAPHICALLY, because even after I do the above 3 things, the SERPs are different (in some cases dramatically) depending on where I'm searching from. For example, when I run a search for club promoter when I'm in Miami, there are a lot of Miami-based nightclub-related pages in my SERPs. But when I run it from Montreal, there are a lot of Montreal-oriented pages. And the difference can be DRAMATIC in some cases: when I follow the 3 steps above to turn off all personalization, and I run a Google search for keyword XYZ:
(i) when I'm in Montreal, my website is #56 in Google SERPs
(ii) when I'm in Miami, my website is not in the top 500 (!!)

So two questions:
(1) Is there anything else I can do to make my search results as "pure" as possible? (esp. related to geography?)
(2) What could account for such a DRAMATIC difference (described in (ii) above where my site can move around hundreds of slots for the same keyword search from different cities)?
#geographic #incl #personalization #purest #results #search #turned
  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Use Firefox and select the Private Browsing option. You can also use Google's Incognito window in Chrome, but I don't trust it as much.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
    Originally Posted by domino66 View Post

    (1) Is there anything else I can do to make my search results as "pure" as possible? (esp. related to geography?)
    Google has different datacenters. There is no search result that is universal so totally "pure" isn't possible.
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Mike Anthony View Post

      Google has different datacenters. There is no search result that is universal so totally "pure" isn't possible.
      True, especially for local search results.

      Example If you search something generic like weather, Google will return the weather results for your ISPs GEO location. If you search weather 60131 Google will show a more detailed GEO location (weather for the zip code area). Same goes If your shopping for a car dealer or anything similar.

      ************************************************** ***

      IMO, anything related to local search results is almost impossible to get around while searching with a browser. You can change the location in Google SERPs but Google already knows the ISP GEO location before you can even get to the SERP settings.

      I don't do local SERPs for my own sites. I do use Chrome Incognito + CCleaner, but even Incognito will store a temporary cache on the browser, I know that for a fact because I've had Google show results on multiple tabs of Incognito giving me suggestions based on my previous Incognito search phrase (same browser session/ you recently searched for [keyword]). The way I get around the temporary cache on Incognito is to search once, close the browser, open a new Incognito session for the 2nd keyword, repeat..., it's slow but I'm only checking my own best keywords.
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      • Profile picture of the author KurtJames
        Add &pws=0 to the end of your search query. (You also need to have google instant turned off)

        If you've been in SEO for a while, you're familiar with the "pws=0" de-personalization parameter. By adding it to the end of a Google query URL ("&pws=0"), you can theoretically remove history-based personalization. A simplified URL would look something like this:

        google.com/?q=personalization&pws=0
        *Source: Face-off - 4 Ways to De-personalize Google | SEOmoz

        I'm not sure if that works for geographic personalization.
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  • Profile picture of the author nik0
    Banned
    I heard that Google also applies that for local businesses now, for example when you type in something like "dentist" in my country then it shows local dentists based on your IP.

    Not sure if that also happens in the US already but pretty terrible for lead generators that target nation wide keywords I would say.
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  • Profile picture of the author InitialEffort
    With Google’s localized search results, usually there are some difference in ranking because of the difference in datacentres. Also, the user’s IP has an impact on Geographical locations in search. Yes, you can disable the personalization by logging out your Google account and then delete the cache and cookies. You can also use the Google Analytics by segmenting it by city or country to see the correct data. You may consider using a tool that tracks ranking like the Microsite Masters. I found it as an accurate and reliable tool in terms of providing the exact SERP and keyword ranking. With this tool, you get the exact rank no matter where in the world you are.

    Also, instead of focusing on the position in the SERP, why not focus on the site’s performance -- if there’s an increase or decrease in its performance.
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    • Profile picture of the author WebMeUp
      There is one more workaround to depersonalize search results for a particular geographic location, in addition to the suggestions above (psw=0, private browsing option in Firefox). Buying a private proxy which belongs to the city you live in and configuring browser settings accordingly is also a way to go. If you renew the proxy on a regular basis, then Google will be returning search results which are ‘closer to reality’.
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  • Profile picture of the author JSProjects
    Chrome Incognito, Firefox private browsing, etc. Additionally, a VPN service that lets you specific which server you want to connect to can give you a pretty solid overview of how you're ranking in different parts of the country / world.
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