Google’s results vary

“My PC at work gives me different results from my PC at home!”

It’s neither obvious nor clear to the average Google user that search results for the same query can vary depending on which data centre Google uses to fetch results. This means that at any one time two different set of search results can be seen simultaneously for the same search query, by two different computers using the same connection.
But what does this mean for the SEO industry, and users alike? It simply means that users see different search results at different times throughout a period of time, until all data centres are updated.

Google Webmasters answers this question;

“Occasionally, fluctuation in search results is the result of differences in our data centers. When you perform a Google search, your query is sent to a Google data center in order to retrieve search results. There are numerous data centers, and many factors (such as geographic location and search traffic) determine where a query is sent. Because not all of our data centers are updated simultaneously, it’s possible to see slightly different search results depending on which data center handles your query.”

Knowing this is essential for both the SEO agency & the SEO client. The important message is to measure SEO trends over time. Day to day SERPs (search engine results pages) fluctuations are normal but we must look at results over a longer period to really understand them.

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