Google May Not Find Local Restaurants In Canada
As previously mentioned, Google has announced that it will offer local search results for many items where it guesses you may want a local supplier.
How exactly does it do that? Here is the Google explanation.
How do we guess your location? In most cases, we match your IP address to a broad geographical location. You can also specify your likely location using the "Change location" link on the top right corner, above the map. We try to make our guesses as good as they can be so that whether you’re shopping for [groceries], [sporting goods] or [flowers], or looking for your [bank], your [gym], or the [post office], you can just say what you want, and we’ll try to find it right where you are. You can also search for specific stores or street addresses near you, like [cornelia st cafe] in New York, for example.
That seems to work very well if you do any of those searches using google.com. In addition the Adwords ads that appear on the search page are correct for my location. Here for example is the search for restaurants that appears at the #4 position using google.com from my location here in Langley, British Columbia.
Where it does not work correctly is if the search is done within seconds from the same computer using google.ca. The Adwords ads that appear on the search page are still correct for the Langley location. However the general search results show restaurants all across Canada and here is what appears at the #4 position as the block of ‘local restaurants’.
The correct IP is easily identified by services like ipaddresslocation.org as Langley, BC. The Adwords ads are also correctly showing local restaurants around Langley, BC.
You get exactly the same results if you try searches for any of the other shops or services mentioned in the Google quote above. In all cases, it is only the main search results and the block of 10 local results that is not involving the IP location. It is probably using an outdated Google cookie planted at least 18 months ago when I did indeed live in Lasalle, QC.
Presumably at some time the Google search via google.ca will come in line with what should be done as demonstrated by the google.com results. I’ll keep you posted when Canadian local search results for restaurants is working as it should.
Go To Top
in the SEO Services Marketplace
BPWrap
April 12th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
[...] 12th, 2009 by langley Google May Not Find Local Restaurants In Canada r [...]
April 13th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Google might be right…there is no such thing as ‘Canadian’ food, is there? What is it????
April 13th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I’ve had a similar experience with my local searches. It was slightly after I had moved from Northern California to Southern California, when searching for local Cafes, i was being given results in Northern California rather than southern.
Otherwise, I find Google to be an extremely helpful and problem free site.
April 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
[...] Even though, Google May Not Always Find Local Restaurants In Canada at this time, the solution using IP location will work for most [...]
April 15th, 2009 at 5:52 am
It is an interesting find, considering that Google is geo targeting all searches, it shows how inaccurate these findings are. What a pain this is for search engine optimisers!
April 18th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Here in Brazil happens the smae. results from google.com.br differs from google.com
April 19th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I think it is important to include your location in your keywords meta if you are targeting internet users within your area. That is for the optimisers.
Even though google search has its flaws, it is still able to give me results specific to my needs.
April 19th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I agree that you should add location information in your web pages, but the keywords meta is probably not the place since it is ignored by Google. Putting the information directly on the web page or adding a LURI may be a better way to go.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Everytime I made a search to find a local restaurent in canada I have found it. Maybe the restaurant is new… just guessing.