Google Dirty Trick to Niche Marketers??

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Maybe I'm missing something, maybe I'm slow but I saw something that really irked me about Google. I am a Micro Niche Site builder and my income depends on me being #1 or as close to it as possible.

Recently I put a site on Flippa to flip, and said it is #1 above some other sites with my ranking. All valid claims until I noticed that when I went to a clients business today and decided to Google my search terms for several sites, and was horrified when I was not where I thought I was or should be.

So I remoted into my home computer and google my search terms, and they were right where I have been seeing them for a while now, but I saw differently at this clients place. I then went to another clients business and did the same thing, again the search rank and SERPs were totally different than what I was seeing at my home.

Does Google place the things you search for, then click on higher up, when you are at one location? then when at another location they are different because they do not know your search patterns?

I smell something fishy going on here. and I think it's going to wreck or at least mess with many of us micro niche siters.

Your thoughts?
Thanks
Larry
#search engine optimization #dirty #google #marketers #niche #trick
  • You need to clear your cookies to see the real search results as Google will customize your search queries based on sites you visit regularly.

    Cheers
    • [1] reply
    • *******s.
      I sorta thought that's what they were doing but wasn't sure.
      Man that just put a hitch in my getalong...
      Thanks!
  • Yep, it's called personalized search or whatever.

    Try this site:

    Rank Checker

    no affiliation
    • [1] reply
    • Yes, the other guys are right Larry. Clear the cookie jar. Or use Rank Checker, or these sites are two that I use regularly for checking my rankings in the great google god...


      https://adwords.google.com/d/AdPreview/




      Are you still selling the site or have you whipped it down from Flippa? Good luck with it whichever way!

      Cheers!
      Joseph
  • It is called Personalized Search and has been the Standard at Google since Caffeine went live in January 2010.
  • You may use a various proxies to try and confirm that your listings are in the expected range. Yes, though the proxies are from the same country, there are other factors that can vary the results as well.
  • Yep, we've all been 'had' by that one! I use Scroogle myself to get a proper ranking order, or HideMyAss.

    P.S. It's not a Google conspiracy against micro-niche sites - I am sure they are working on that though
  • Also if you have logged into your Google Account, signout from it before checking rankings. I always use tools like SEO Elite, Traffic Travis, MS etc. whenever checking my rankings. Checking it on our browser yields incorrect results most times..
    • [1] reply
    • Yes, we have been had by this one. I posted a while back in regards to this and warriors were very helpful to me in regards to this.
  • google personalised search. in my opinion it's one of the worst things they've ever done - not only is it annoying for people in the business but what makes them think that users want to see the same sites over and over?!?! very silly.
    • [1] reply
    • It's a great thing, in my opinion. The majority of Google users are not internet marketers. They don't care about your websites - they just want good "stuff" returned to them when they search. Personalied search is a great idea.
      • [1] reply
  • Visit Scroogle if you want to find out where your site actually ranks for the US search results.

    Chris
    • [1] reply
    • Personalized Search
      Clear your cookies and log out of your google account
      then make the search
  • Hard times indeed... cause even using Scroogle you can be #1 in New York, and for another user in L.A. your site can be #7.

    Personalized search is probably more then just YOUR own personalized search... I guess demographics, age, hour of the search... and what not, are all part of the BIG scheme of Google things.

    That's why my #1 sites (real number 1 in Lisbon, Porto, or Algarve) sometimes get a quick drop to #2 or #3 for a specific query in another city - simply because there are other stuff playing with G system, like past searches from that specific user, for example.

    I believe the future is going to be more of a "Site Sell - Top 10 Rankings for X keyword"... instead of a "Site Sell - #1 in Keyword"...

    Edit To Add: Amazing times to live in and to be part of IM crew.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Turning off search history personalization : Personalized Search - Accounts Help

    Disable personalized search with this search plugin - Yoast
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • The same issue had me going pretty good for a bit until I found out what was going on. Now i just make sure the feature is disabled to see accurate results.
  • I don't even fool with checking SERP results unless it is from behind a proxy server. That seriously simplified things.
  • I only use scroogle but sometimes I also check on vtunnel, a proxy website to see if the ranking are different or whatsoever.

    Andrea
  • Then I guess a change of career plans might be in order.

    I see no reason for google to ever feel the need to must do
    anything. Why other people believe it is beyond me.

    Paul
  • I know this is not relative , but whats your alexa rank?
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • does Private Browsing option in fire fox helps with this?


    -milos
  • Usually log out and turn off personalised by clicking the history link
  • Clear your cache, or you can make use of a proxy. Try either of these two and you'll see that it's not that serious.
    • [1] reply
    • I use a FireFox plugin called "Google Camo"

      Its stops the Google Personalized search feature from recording everything you do..

      You may not be aware, but even if you select to turn the personalized search feature off, it "automatically" turns itself back on the next time you start your browser.

      A bit of a pian, byr the free FF plugin called "Google camo" works very well with this..

      Can't remember where I got it from, but Google it..

      Hope this helps

      Bruce
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    Google Dirty Trick to Niche Marketers??

    Maybe I'm missing something, maybe I'm slow but I saw something that really irked me about Google. I am a Micro Niche Site builder and my income depends on me being #1 or as close to it as possible. Recently I put a site on Flippa to flip, and said it is #1 above some other sites with my ranking. All valid claims until I noticed that when I went to a clients business today and decided to Google my search terms for several sites, and was horrified when I was not where I thought I was or should be.