Getting Around Google's Location Based Results

As a Search Engine Marketer and Professional, I am searching Google dozens of times a day (sometimes hundreds). I am monitoring results, making changes, and coming back to see more results all the time. At any given time, I have 4 or 5 key phrases that I search just before I go to bed and right when I wake because of the anticipation of those results. I love my job and treat SEO like a game, and I want to win this game.

But sometimes Google's great and wonderful search algorithm gets in my way. Google's goal is not to make my life easy, it's to give people the best results possible. They want to answer queries accurately and speedily. For that reason, Google often monitors searchers' IP addresses (and maybe even actual GPS coordinates) if they believe that it is relevant to your search. After all, you're looking for something. A lot of times you're looking for something near you.

How does that get in my way? Well, my search habits are trying to get the most generic results possible. I want to know what the rest of the world sees, not what Google thinks they should deliver to me. When my IP Address gets logged and I get hand-delivered results, I go blind to the rest of the world, and that's a problem for me (and potentially my clients).

If this happens to you, don't fret. There are a few ways to get around this. You don't have to be a Search Engine Professional either. Business owners should be very concerned with how they (and their competition) rank to the rest of the world.

* The Mobile Solution - This one is simple. I use my IPhone. Using a mobile phone or portable device is a great way to browse without your IP address being tracked. You have to disable your wifi, but browsing on a 3G or Edge signal means that your device is jumping from IP Address to IP Address all the time, ensuring that you're location is not being specifically tracked. Even though your IP Address is relatively location specific, Google won't be able to lock you to one, and therefor won't be able to build up a profile on your specific location. And while most new mobile devices provide GPS location, you should still have to give permission before that happens. If Google starts asking for your permission to see your location, just say no if generic search results are important to you.
* Use an 'Air Card' - An air card, or a 3G connection provided to your computer, will give you the same results as above. After all, this device will simply convert your computer into a cell phone signal-riding device. Remember, with this and the previous solution, you need to make sure you're logged out of your Google account if you have one, and clear all of your cookies out of your temporary internet files
* Use a proxy - A proxy is a way to route your connection through a different location so as to mask your location. It can be complicated for the non-tech savvy, but luckily there's a turnkey solution. I use a software tool called Tor. Tor is an automatic proxy solution that routes your connection all over the world in order to provide the most anonymous connection possible. While some may try to use Tor for some for less-than-legal activities because of the (false*) privacy it provides, it is a legitimate way to appear anonymous to services like Google. Tor is a free download from www.torproject.org and there are easy to follow instructions on the website.

*Tor does not provide true web anonymity, so don't get any unseemly ideas. If you're curious how it works, check out their website.

I use a combination of these three solutions depending on where I am and my searching needs. The phone is quick but can be cumbersome if I want to do a LOT of searches. The air card is convenient but wifi connections can interfere, and my brand of air card only works in city limits. And Tor is effective but slows your internet connection to a crawl because it bounces your requests across the globe.

All weaknesses aside, most people should be able to utilize at least one of these techniques to anonymously search. Before you try any of these, however, you'd be best served to just call a long-distance friend or family member and compare results directly. If your results are the same, it could save you some time.