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View Full Version : Sneaky Google and it's Awesomeness



Dustin07
05-14-2009, 12:54 PM
I found I was ranking #2 for a GREAT keyword this morning. I couldn't believe it! Just yesterday I was stuck in the fold on page 2, and today I'm #2 on page 1!

But a quick search on other computers here at the office and I find... no, I'm still on page 2. What's up with that?

Log out of the Google, clear cookies, and now I'm on page 2, probably where I should be. Very sneaky Google!

While I wish I ranked better, I do think this is a pretty cool feature on Google's part.

nealrm
05-14-2009, 01:12 PM
Google does modify it's results to best suit the user. If you have searched on specific keywords in the past and clicked on any of the results, those result will get ranked higher. This only works if you are logged in.

I'm not sure if Google has a feedback loop to allow for the number of clicks to effect general SERP.

Dustin07
05-14-2009, 01:34 PM
I'm not sure if Google has a feedback loop to allow for the number of clicks to effect general SERP.

i've heard that they were going to follow users clicks to help with creating an even more relative result, but I don't know if it's true. I do click on mine a lot when using my keyword search, 'just in case'.

vangogh
05-14-2009, 03:17 PM
Dustin were you signed into something Google while searching on your computer? If so then Google likely was boosting the result of your site based on your own search history and web surfing. The other computers in the office were likely not signed in as you.

What you're seeing is a major reason why rankings on their own are becoming less and less meaningful. You still want to rank better today than you did yesterday, but the truth is different people will see different results for the same search query. Google may show different results based on your geographical location or your personal search history and web surfing.

Saying you rank #2 isn't as important as noting you gain 50 unique visitors per week from the keyphrase.

jem
05-25-2009, 06:51 PM
Agree 100% percent: PR, ranking etc don't matter - real eyeballs that convert, now there is something I drool after.

Simon

vangogh
05-26-2009, 01:12 AM
eal eyeballs that convert, now there is something I drool after.

One visitor who buys is generally better than 1,000 visitors who leave right away.

Spider
05-26-2009, 11:35 AM
I don't think Google is the only SE that does this. I have seen it with Yahoo and MSN.

When I check 'visitor paths' on my stats program (statcounter.com), the original incoming link is shown. When I click that link to see the referring page, my site is often not on that serp page - maybe it is on the previous or the next page, and sometime not to be found at all! I am reading from this that the visitor saw a different page to the one that same http address gives me.