Whats going on? has anyone else noticed that sites rank differently based on which computer and IP you are using? For example - a website I made ranks 3rd for a keyword on my computer/ip, but when I use my computer and a web proxy to search the same keyword on google, it is on page 3? What is this and how come it happens?
partly because of google now uses your search history to show custom results even when not logged into google, but also using a different proxy will mean you hit a different google data center, possibly even in a different country. Thus what you are seeing is normal.
Basically its based on your IP aka Geo. Example if your in UK and searching at Google.com it will be different compared to a person in US searching at Google.com Use a proxy to check it out.
it will annoy any one not only you dear. i got shocked as well when i searched my blog on first page for some keyword but next day it is not on the first page.
They always have done. That's why you can't rely on just checking on your own computer to know how you rank - if you've been doing this, every time you look for your own result, you're giving yourself a 'false result'. Being logged into a google tool, having cookies, your IP, your geographical location, the data centre your results are coming from - all these things will effect the serps you see.