• High Rankings Advisor , Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:45 PM

Jill Whalen responds to a reader question about why searchers in different states or regions may ultimately end up seeing different results.

When it comes to different results for the same exact query, automatic geo-targeting may be the culprit. "If you're searching for something that seems to be a local search to [the engines], say a plumber, they will often try to show you plumbers in your particular geographical area," Whalen says. "Even if you don't specify that you're looking for a plumber in Indiana."

On the other hand, if it's about why snagging a top ranking for a plumbing site in Beech Grove, Indiana may be easier (or more difficult) than doing it in Indianapolis, Whalen suggests chalking it up to marketplace competitiveness. "Every Web site is unique and will have a differing number of competitors in any given region," she says. There may be 200 plumbers in Indianapolis, and just 10 in Beech Grove, so optimizing for the smaller town will likely be much easier.

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