Are your Google search results different than others’?

Let PR experts help you understand why your results may not be matching up

You perform a Google search and find your company at the top of the page with glowing reviews. Your customer conducts the same exact search and gets entirely different results (or vice versa). What gives?

Trying to understand Google analytics and search engine optimization rules can make your head spin. Use our PR firm to guide you through the ins and outs of the world’s most influential search engine.

Why search results may be different from person to person

Although there are other search engines, such as Yahoo and Bing, the majority of consumers use Google, so it’s important to understand how search results are created. This will give you an idea of why results can differ so drastically from person to person.

Google knows your previous search behavior and preferences, so it attempts to customize results based on those actions. That means you could get different Google results based on the behavior of the people at your company. For example, if you frequently perform searches for your company and/or visit your company’s website, Google will assume that you like your company and it will include your website high on the list of your future searches. However, your PR firm and customers will see very different results based on their own unique search behaviors.

Google attempts to match its results to other users with similar behavior. This is why you sometimes find that if you type in the beginning of a typical search, such as the letter B, Google will automatically suggest something like Bank of America or Barnes and Noble. This predictive search is often referred to as “Google Suggest.”

A Google+ account will put this phenomenon into overdrive. When you search while signed into your account, the system will provide results based on the preferences of other Google+ users in your circles.

Google considers your location and attempts to customize results based on that information – whether you are on the move with a mobile device or sitting at home on your PC. It does this using your IP address, GPS information and browser cookies. Your computer may store these cookies for up to six months.

Google also takes into account whom and what you’re near, as well as what people in that area typically click on or wish to do. Therefore, you might conduct a search at home and get different results than if you searched at work, even using the exact same search criteria.

Google uses different servers (farms and data centers) across the U.S. and each has its own unique delivery method. Eventually those results are updated or synced, as other servers may be testing new techniques and algorithms at any given time. This is not the most common cause for search differences, but it does happen and can result in search variations for several days as updates are completed.

The importance of Google for businesses

Search ranking reports are a critical part of doing business today. Studies have shown that a majority of customers research a company online before making a purchase decision.

In addition, more than 90 percent of consumers admit that they never venture past the first page of hits when conducting a search. Therefore, it’s important to know what they’re seeing and where your company stands when it comes to various search terms.

At Axia, we use the most advanced methods to show you an accurate picture of your website rankings. In addition, we will implement the right PR initiatives and campaigns to help improve your online reputation, boost your website traffic, attract more customers and increase profitability.

Register today for our 60-Second Impact program to find out how we can serve as your strategic partner and help you to promote and grow your company.

– Jason Mudd, APR, is CEO of Axia Public Relations. He is an Emmy Award-winning accredited public relations practitioner, speaker, author and entrepreneur. His public relations portfolio includes work for established national and emerging brands such as American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, Brightway, Florida Blue, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Ray Charles, Southern Comfort, Verizon and more. Connect with Jason on Twitter@jasonmudd9 and Axia Public Relations @axiapr. Be sure to tweet and share your thoughts below. We’ll read and respond to each of them.