Does your browser affect rankings? Options

[bwelford]

I saw a result two days ago and have duplicated it today.

From the same computer (Windows XP), I do a Google search for 'aircraft cabin air quality' with Firefox and with Internet Explorer and get different items appearing for #9 and #10 in the two SERP listings.

How could this happen?

What is the significance?

[eKstreme]

Could it be different data centers? I just did a couple of quick searches using IE, Opera, and Firefox and didn't see any differences...

[wobular]

I saw a result two days ago and have duplicated it today.

From the same computer (Windows XP), I do a Google search for 'aircraft cabin air quality' with Firefox and with Internet Explorer and get different items appearing for #9 and #10 in the two SERP listings. 

How could this happen? 

What is the significance?

Whenever I experience this sort of behavior, I clear my cookies, cache, etc. from IE and FF.

The problem, in my experience, goes away.

But I'll be interested to hear if it remains in yours or anybody else's case.

[bwelford]

No I've cleared the caches in both FF and IE and still get the *9 and *10 different in the two SERPs.

[wobular]

No I've cleared the caches in both FF and IE and still get the *9 and *10 different in the two SERPs. 

Now that's interesting - I'll probably be checking all my results in each browser now - I wonder what the reason would be from Google's point of view? Why would they want to return different results based on client software?

That's really strange.

[Brandon_Cstone]

google tracks your search history. Does it see each browser as a different person maybe?

[wobular]

google tracks your search history.  Does it see each browser as a different person maybe?

But wouldn't they do that with cookies? Do you think they track IP addresses and associated client software? It sounds a little like Big Brother to me, but I wouldn't discount it.

I do notice things like this in my stats:

www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&client=safari&rls=en&q=search query&btnG=Search

But I would think the reference to client software would be related more to CSS and other presentation issues rather than the treatment of data, wouldn't it?

Perhaps not.

[FP_Guy]

I just tried it and it happened to me too!

[travis]

Firefox might be directed to its own Data Center so they can monitor different browser traffic.

And as you know, different data centers produce different results, especially in the last two to three weeks.

[rmccarley]

Check for *anything* that may identify you to Google - logged into an account (often you are without realizing it), unclearde cookies (as mentioned), installed G toolbar, etc.

I've seen these posts on other forums and it always turns out there is a "third hand" involved. Usually being signed into a Google account of some sort that brings up a presonalized search instead of the normal one.

Also, check to see if you are hitting the same DC. If in doubt you can always plug the IP strait in.

[bwelford]

Well I checked on IE using the same datacenter (72.14.207.99) as was being used by FF. I still get exactly the same different results.

I do have my Google account active on Firefox (e.g. for search history), so perhaps that's it. However I still don't see why there should be the difference in SERPs.

[kensplace]

Well I checked on IE using the same datacenter (72.14.207.99) as was being used by FF.  I still get exactly the same different results. 

I do have my Google account active on Firefox (e.g. for search history), so perhaps that's it.  However I still don't see why there should be the difference in SERPs.

Never trust a big company....

Google is probably trying to make your experience more personal (and mess with SEO peoples heads at the same time..)

Sign out of all accounts, clear cookies, try again.

[bwelford]

Good thinking, Ken. I signed out of my Google account but still got the different SERPs. I was going to get rid of the cookies but I seem to have so many Google cookies that I decided I might cause myself too much inconvenience. So it remains a mystery.

[FP_Guy]

I just read an article today on how Google's latest algo BigDaddy is no longer going to be lynx browser based, but is going to mozilla browser based for its information. So maybe this has something to do with it.

Unfortunately, I already deleted the article.

[bwelford]

No, FP_Guy, I think kensplace nailed the problem earlier. My Google account in my default browser FF has certain associated cookies. My IE is running with a Google toolbar but no account. The difference in SERPs I commented on earlier still persists exactly the same 10 days later.

[Adrian]

If that is differentiation based on personal details (previous searches etc...) that could be pretty cool. It's been talked about, but no real evidence before(that I've seen at least). Makes it impossible to really check how your sites ranking if it can vary from person to person and could really throw off a lot of perhaps suspect techniques?

I wonder if it's happening even when logged out Barry, because of cookies on your machine. So even though you're not logged into the system, the cookie is still being used to display personalised results.

Lots of speculation and if's

[bwelford]

Good thought, Adrian. I hadn't done exactly that test. If I sign out of my account while I'm in FF, then I get the same result as I got in IE. So it's not a browser effect at all. When I sign into my Google account then I get a different search result from when I'm not signed in.

This is somewhat upsetting because I've never indicated to Google any preferences I have. However from my behaviour they have developed a view on what may be more relevant for me. This is very irksome.

In this case it's also extremely irritating. In this particular search I have some of my own blog postings that link to a client's website. When I'm signed in to my account my blog postings come higher than the client's website. When I'm not signed in, the client's website comes higher than my blog postings. It's almost as if Google gives you the results they think you'd like to see.

[JohnMu]

Have you tried using the Firefox User-Agent extension? That would let you switch user-agents (as far as the server can tell) without really having to do so. You could also use wget to do the same (and be sure that nothing like cookies, cache, accounts, etc. get in the way).

>It's almost as if Google gives you the results they think you'd like to see.
That would be a great goal, wouldn't it? Google helps you and shows you things that it thinks you will likely click on -- a search engine with a bit of a mind of its own (ok, it has positive and negative possiblities...)

John

[JohnMu]

Just if you're curious:

You can get wget for windows here: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/hherold/ or http://users.ugent.be/~bpuype/wget/ (or lots of places)

To retrieve a query with different user-agents, use:

CODE

wget -O google-ie.htm -U="Mozilla/4.0+(compatible;+MSIE+6.0;+Windows+NT+5.0;+.NET+CLR+1.1.4322)" http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=whats+up

wget -O google-ff.htm -U="Mozilla/5.0+(Windows;+U;+Windows+NT+5.0;+de;+rv:1.8)+Gecko/20051111+Firefox/1.5" http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=whats+up

or with a specific datacenter:

CODE

wget -O google-ie.htm -U="Mozilla/4.0+(compatible;+MSIE+6.0;+Windows+NT+5.0;+.NET+CLR+1.1.4322)" http://72.14.207.104/search?num=100&q=whats+up

wget -O google-ff.htm -U="Mozilla/5.0+(Windows;+U;+Windows+NT+5.0;+de;+rv:1.8)+Gecko/20051111+Firefox/1.5" http://72.14.207.104/search?num=100&q=whats+up

Just an idea however -- how are you accessing Google? Are you using the Firefox built-in Google text-box? or with the exact same URL (copy + paste from browser to browser)? Perhaps the difference is in the URL parameters..

Cheers
John

[bwelford]

Thanks for the useful sources, softplus. I usually use the Firefox provided Google search field. I don't intend to wrestle this one to the ground, since it's tough to avoid this Google 'help'. I'm now aware of this and will be careful in the future not to be tripped up by it.