Google.com VS Google local

[freetraff]

Strange, but I heard from several of my clients that even when they want to do local search, they do not use the local version of Google. They prefer going to international - Google.com - and simply narrow the results by putting a country into the search string. They say it gives more results.

I was surprised, but then remembered that when I was not eager to miss something I was doing something like this as well.

My poll is are you using Google.com for local searches (just specify the country in the search string) or go to local version of Google?

[MtraX]

I sometimes find that Google automatically serve local results. Maybe when you're signed into your Google account, haven't really tested...

[kylegetson]

Ive always used google.com. Even if I am looking for a UK, AU, China or a US site, I stick with google.com. I used to work for a UK based company and all I ever saw them use was google.com. Maybe outside the US people use country specific, can't say that Ive seen someone specifically go to google.com.au or google.co.uk. I just throw in the keyword if I want local results and havn't had any trouble.

Personally I think its too much typing to add the local domain (but maybe thats because Im a lazy american)

[ornamentlady]

I find that most results on Google.ca (with the Canadian sites only ticked) aren't Canadian. If I need a Canadian site I get much better results with .com and Canada in the search string.

[dburdon]

The evidence in UK is that Google.co.uk is overwhelmingly preferred to Google.com. About 90% to 10%. Of the UK searches, about 30% also check the pages from the UK button.

[SemAdvance]

Originally Posted by ornamentlady

I find that most results on Google.ca (with the Canadian sites only ticked) aren't Canadian. If I need a Canadian site I get much better results with .com and Canada in the search string.

This is due to how the localized search engines work, the fact most Canadian companies have not undertaken SEO (see Jim Hedger) and the reason why pages show up that are not Canadian based.

The local engine will look at the query and look for pages from the local area,

If it cannot find enough local pages it will then look in the region,

If there are still not enough pages in the region, then they look through out the nation,

and finally international pages.

Peace

[dbramley]

I'm from the UK and always use the .co.uk search or tick the 'from the UK' button.

[murphypj]

I prefer to use Google.com, but with some difficulty. When I type google.com into my IE address bar, it returns google.ie, I then have to click 'Go to Google.com' underneath the search bar to actually get there.

This happens in IE 6.0.2900, and was also happening in Firefox before I upgraded to 2.0.0.5.
Even clicking a desktop icon pointing to google.com. I have no idea how this is done, checked my hosts file but no entries there. Anyone else had this annoying experience?

PJ

[madjohn]

I search using the Google tool bar and even though I have it set to .co.uk to search the results page always comes back from google.co.uk (as you'd expect), but the UK search radio button is not marked (even though the results are the same if I action it).

The results do vary between the two but not by very much.

Each time I search, I find myself going from .com to .co.uk and vice versa - if I don't find what I'm looking for first time. If you really want to find what you want, you won't be too 'lazy' to look (eh, kylegetson...? lol)

I also tested this after signing in - and the search results are definately more locally orientated. After logging in on .co.uk and searching for 'castles' ALL the results were UK based on the first 2 pages.

I know there are a lot of castles in the UK compared to the US (!!) but I thought thought I'd test Google to see how wide it would would spread it's net outside the expected search area if it 'didn't know where I was' compared to if it 'did'.

[dharrison]

I do always use google.co.uk unless I use the Google toolbar. But I tend to click the Pages from the UK button if there are too many results and/or if I am looking for a business.

[dogznbonz]

I'm scared to death to search anything but local due to all the foreign crime rings.

[freetraff]

Thanks for taking part in the poll.

[Martinscholes]

A colleague at work groused about the number of non-UK search results that he was getting on Google.

I asked him why he had chosen to search on Google.com rather than using Google.co.uk

He looked at me blankly and said: "What? Can you do that?"

I showed him the button to click and he said: "I'd never noticed that!"

So one of the reasons why people do not use local Google searches is because they do not know it is available!

[MtraX]

murphypj, that's exactly what I was talking about. There is some automation happening, but I'm still trying to figure out whether it's the toolbar or the fact that one's logged into your google account that serves local results. It's still good though, but it also means that we don't have to focus that strongly on including local phrases in optimisation practises. Obviously one would still include them, just in case