I don't want Google to show me local results in my searches

[Ian J]

I was having all sorts of problems with Internet Explorer so reset it back to the factory defaults and I can now see all of the websites that were previously causing me problems but it has given me a new problem that I can't solve.

My website currently ranks at the bottom of page three (or thereabouts) yet when I search for factoring it shows up in fourth place on page 1 which I know to be a false position.

I have tried changing my local in Google to London but that doesn't seem to work. there must be a workaround as this has only started happening since I reset Internet explorer back to the factory settings.

I am not logged in to a Google account and the resetting deleted all browsing history, cache and cookies so it can't be that.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Ian J]

Incidentally, if I use Firefox or Opera this anomaly doesn't happen and my site is shown in it's correct position so it's just IE that is causing problems

 

[zigojacko]

I'm not sure I understand what exactly the problem is other than the fact you shouldn't use IE for reasons to long to list here.

From what I can gather you're searching for your business name and appear on page 3 on IE but on page 1 in other browsers? Or is actually the fact that you rank on page 1 for 'factoring' in IE but not on other browsers?

If you search for 'factoring' in IE, append the URL in your address bar with &near=London and hit enter, you'll probably find your rank changes (and you'll probably get a local pack of results, London based) which means that it was showing you at position #4 based on your locality (likely IP address).

Either way, none of this really matters - unless I'm missing something.

 

[Ian J]

From what I can gather you're searching for your business name and appear on page 3 on IE but on page 1 in other browsers? Or is actually the fact that you rank on page 1 for 'factoring' in IE but not on other browsers?.

I want my site to rank well for the single word term "factoring" and on IE it does rank well (in fourth place) whilst using Firefox or Opera or any form of ranking software it ranks at the bottom of page 3 or top of page 4

All I want is to be able to see is what everyone else in the UK sees when they input the word factoring which is what has happened for years until I re-installed Internet Explorer a couple of days ago

 

[Nuno]

If you want to see what everyone else sees use Chrome (62%), or FireFox (23%). Unless your users are heavily skewed towards IE, (which is possible given a corporate client base), it will only give you what 8% of users see, 4+% of which are the older, naffer versions of IE.
I might be missing something but waving goodbye to IE would seem to kill two birds with one stone for you.

 

[UKSBD]

Do a search for anything on Google, click the clog symbol (top right), click History, see if it says
"Your search and ad results may be customized using search activity from this computer."

If it does, switch it off

Edit: shortcut - https://history.google.com/history/optout?hl=en

 

[UKSBD]

Also, while you're at it this might give you a shock.
go to Users > user > AppData > Roaming > Google > Local Search History

Open the files with Notepad++ if you have it.

 

[Sober Media]

The best thing to do is use Chrome Incognito Mode. Top right select the settings and click "Open window incognito mode" This will show you the correct search position and does not use past history or location.

 

[UKSBD]

The best thing to do is use Chrome Incognito Mode. Top right select the settings and click "Open window incognito mode" This will show you the correct search position and does not use past history or location.

Incognito mode still uses your past history (unless you have always used incognito mode).

 

[Alan]

lol

You are getting confused by search engines.

When you reinstalled IE it reset your search engine to BING, your site ranks 4th on BING.

On Google you rank at top of page 4.

You need to change the default search engine

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/software/3447570/change-default-search-engine-in-ie/

 

[Ian J]

Mr llocally. I may not be an IT whizz kid but I'm not a complete numb skull and can tell the difference between Bing and Google

Luckily for me my site has been in the top few on Bing for a number of years but unluckily for me no-one seems to use Bing.

The first thing I did when I reinstalled IE was to change my default search engine from Bing to Google.

 

[Alan]

OK, an amazing coincidence then, that you are seeing page 1 on IE and page 4 on other browsers.

(for me using IE on Google it appears on page 4 )

As others say, why bother with IE anyway, I only use it when I have to test for cross browser issues.

p.s. if you are only checking 1 keyword, sign up for a free account on a SEO site, WEBCEO offer one which will track 5 keywords, I'm sure there are a dozen others. Or install SEOTOOL box 'Rank Checker' tool bar to firefox.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

I want my site to rank well for the single word term "factoring" and on IE it does rank well (in fourth place) whilst using Firefox or Opera or any form of ranking software it ranks at the bottom of page 3 or top of page 4

All I want is to be able to see is what everyone else in the UK sees when they input the word factoring which is what has happened for years until I re-installed Internet Explorer a couple of days ago

if you are searching for a single word then everyone else in the UK is likely to be seeing different results as google regularly bases the results on the physical location of the IP address. e.g. I search for double glazing, and I get local companies in the main SERP's as WELL as the local pack.

As for it all getting skewed since installing Internet Exploder I can't say why, other than the fact it is an evil piece of software that might well have overwritten the other browsers.

 

[Ian J]

if you are searching for a single word then everyone else in the UK is likely to be seeing different results as google regularly bases the results on the physical location of the IP address. e.g. I search for double glazing, and I get local companies in the main SERP's as WELL as the local pack.

I've just searched for factoring on my laptop and that is showing me as top of page 4 on Google using exactly the same Internet Explorer as I have on my PC that shows me as 4th on page 1 so I guess that it must have something to do with a browser setting or a cookie but I'm damned if I know what

 

[Ian J]

Additionally I am also having problems with "Only Secure Content is being Displayed" popping up at the bottom of many web pages. I have Googled the problem and I have to change one of the settings in IE "Display Mixed Content" to enable which I have done but this hasn't had any effect at all, even after rebooting the PC to see if that would have any effect.

 

[MASSEY]

As said, people can see a number of different results for a number of reasons.

I find my main problem with personalised results is because of how difficult it is to turn it off.

I usually have to click disable customisation based on search activity 10 times before it does it. On some browsers like IE, it simply redirects me to google homepage and doesn't give the option to turn it off.

 

[RedEvo]

Install the Tor Browser. That way Google doesn't know where you are and you can get a more generic view of search results.

https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en

d

 

[Ian J]

I still haven't solved this problem

I think that some people are confusing the problem as it isn't with Google but with Internet Explorer as it is the latter that shows me in fourth place instead of a few pages lower as if I do the same search with either a different browser or with Internet Explorer on my laptop the correct results are shown.

Additionally if I use IE in "In Private" mode the results are then shown correctly

Have I defeated the UKBF IT gurus

 

[zigojacko]

Have I defeated the UKBF IT gurus

I think the problem was already answered above Ian...

You have somehow got your Internet Explorer using personalised results as you prove when you use IE in private mode.

Clear cache, clear cookies, sign-out of Google, delete web history, delete Google web history just in case, then try again.

It isn't a problem with IE, it is a user error (with the greatest of respect ). That being said, you could have any kind of extension/add-on or even some software skewing your results in any number of means.

The real answer, is to just drop IE and use a better browser anyway.

 

[Ian J]

I deleted cookies and cache etc using internet options in IE and it had no effect but this time I did it all again using CCleaner too and this time whatever was causing the problem has now gone.

Many thanks Mr Jacko and I hear what you say about using a different browser and have been using Firefox and Opera a couple of times a day to get used to them prior to switching permanently

 

[zigojacko]

Good stuff

Firefox is becoming more and more 'clunky' over the years. I don't have a bad word to say about Opera though - this is one of my favourite browsers at the moment.

Chrome is speedy if you keep it lightweight, it becomes very weighed down with running processes once you want any kind of browser extensions installed.