One of the most common mistakes I see marketers and business owners make is assuming the search results they see on their screen are the same results everyone else sees.
They’re not. And the gap can be bigger than you think.
Google personalizes search results based on a handful of factors, but location is one of the biggest. Most people understand this intuitively for service-based businesses. If you search “HVAC repair” in Miami, you’re going to get different results than someone searching the same thing in upstate New York. That part is obvious.
What’s less obvious is how much this applies beyond local services. I’ve seen national brands, e-commerce companies, and multi-location businesses show drastically different rankings from one city to the next, sometimes even state to state. You might look at your rankings from your office and think everything is going great. Meanwhile, one state over the picture looks completely different.
Why Google Shows Different Results Based on Location
Google has been moving toward hyper-local personalization for years, but a major shift happened in late 2017 when they changed how country-code domains work. Before that update, you could go to google.com.br from the US and see Brazilian search results. Google killed that. Now, no matter which Google domain you visit, the results are based on where Google thinks you physically are.
That change made location the dominant filter for search results, not just for local queries but across the board. Google uses your IP address, GPS data (on mobile), saved location preferences, and your search history to decide what version of the results to show you. Two people sitting in different cities searching the exact same phrase will often see a meaningfully different set of results.
The Incognito Myth
Most marketers realize that when you are logged into a web browser the results are personalized. So you know to open an icognito tab, and you figure that will prevent bias. Well, sort of.
Incognito mode strips out your search history and logged-in account data, which is useful, but it does not change your location. Google still reads your IP address in incognito mode, which means it still knows roughly where you are. Your search is still tied to your location. And honestly, how much incognito mode actually shields you is debatable. Google settled a lawsuit in early 2024 over allegations that it continued tracking users in private browsing mode. The exact terms weren’t made public, but the case raised real questions about how private “private mode” actually is.
Why This Actually Matters for Your Business
I had a client who appeared to be ranking well based on the results we were seeing. When we dug deeper and checked results across multiple regions, the picture changed. They were strong in the Northeast but struggling in the Southwest for some key terms. The same pages were ranking, but Google was surfacing different competitors in different markets.
To counter this, we ran targeted paid campaigns in the weaker markets to maintain visibility while we built out an organic approach to improve against local competitors while keeping our rankings in other locations.
None of that would have happened if we had only looked at the results from one location.
How to Check Google Search Results for a Different City/Location
There are a few ways to do this, but my tool of preference is Valentin.app. It’s free, it doesn’t require an email or account, and it lets you simulate Google searches from specific cities, not just countries or regions.
Here’s how to use it:
- Go to valentin.app.
- Select your region and language.
- Enter the city you want to simulate searching from and hit “geocode.” This is the key step. It sets the geographic coordinates Google will use to serve results.
- Type your search query and hit return.
That’s it. You’ll see the Google results as they would appear to someone searching from that city.
Check Rankings Twice: Find Out Who’s Seeing You and Who’s Not
If you’re only looking at search results from one location, you’re working without the complete picture. The fix takes five minutes.
Open Valentin.app, run your key searches from the cities and markets that matter to your business, and see what’s actually showing up. If you want to take it a step further, try the GoFullPage Chrome extension. It captures full-page screenshots you can export as a PNG or PDF, so you can compare results from different locations side by side and spot exactly where the gaps are.
Both tools are free so there’s no reason not to check. Unless you like subpar results. In which case, keep on turning a blind eye, my clients thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Google search results change based on location?
Yes. Google uses your IP address, GPS data, and saved location preferences to customize results. This is especially noticeable for searches with local intent, but it affects broader queries too. Two people in different cities searching the same term can see meaningfully different results.
Why does Google show different search results for different locations?
Google’s goal is to show the most relevant results for each user, and location is one of the strongest relevance signals it uses. Since late 2017, Google has leaned even harder into location-based personalization, making it so that the country-code domain you use no longer matters, results are based on where you physically are.
Does incognito mode show unbiased search results?
Partially. Incognito removes the influence of your search history and logged-in account, but it does not change your perceived location. Google still reads your IP address in incognito, so the results are still geographically filtered. For location-neutral results, you need a tool that lets you simulate searching from a different place.
How can I see Google search results for a different city for free?
Valentin.app is a free tool that lets you simulate Google searches from specific cities without needing a VPN, account, or paid subscription. You select a region, enter a city name, and run your search. The results reflect what someone in that city would see.
Why do my rankings look different in different states?
Google’s algorithm weighs local relevance, which means the competitive landscape can shift by geography. Different competitors may be stronger in certain regions, local directories or review sites may rank differently, and Google may interpret the same query with slightly different intent depending on the location. These differences can be significant.
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