My website sometimes shows up on page one (second position) of Google search results for a particular keyword phrase that gets almost 100,000 searches a month according to Google keyword tool. But the odd thing is my website shows up on page 1, position 2, only in Internet Explorer, but when I use Firefox and type the same keyword phrase in Google my website shows up on page 2 of the results, position 4. I deleted all the temp files within Internet Explorer, and all the saved history...everything..., and my website still shows up on page 1 position 2 of Google only within the Internet Explorer browser, even when I am not logged into Adwords or any Google site like email etc. Does this happen to anyone else? I am wondering if my website, on another computer, will show up on page 1, position 2...or if something secretly has been installed on my computer that automatically puts my website near the top of page 1 of Google search results for that keyword phrase? For example, some website traffic companies will guarantee that your website will get to the top positions of page 1 of Google after they do SEO stuff for you like create backlinks etc. So do they secretly install something on your computer to make your website look like it is in the top position of Google to make you think their SEO stuff is working? I am not saying that is what is happening, but as I said my website is only near the top of page 1 when using Internet Explorer, not Firefox.
remove your internet Explorer history, then you check your website, you would be good your right keyword raking on internet explore.
I'm loving the idea that 'something' has been secretly installed on your computer by nefarious seo people to make your results look better. The only people that are 'secretly' installing stuff on your computer are Google - they call it personalised search - http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=54041 In different browsers you have different search history, and different cookies dropped, so your results look different.
Still the same thing a few days later - my website is on page 1 of Google, 2 position for a keyword phrase when I use Internet Explorer, but is on page 2 of Google, 4th position, for the same keyword phrase when I use Firefox. I deleted all the temp files, history, cached etc, but the website is still on page 1. Can't figure it out.
All of this craziness started a few days ago for me also. My first problem was when I was doing some manual research in explorer. I was finding some great stuff but only if I were promoting it in my own town. When google made the most recent changes they added local search element where it used to have " Show Options". Mine change to a local search. So when searching I was only returning local search results. I still did not figure out where I change this and it is a pain in th ass when doing research. I have also found chrome, ie, fire fox all return different results. On top of this madness I have tried over and over to figure out what is going on but. When searching for a keyword I often get different results for the same query hours apart. And when i say different it is extreme. I can check a keyword serach and get 500 results and check it a hour later and get 10000 results and again 5M results and then back to 500 results. Like I'm getting results from different data centers. Nobody knows and may never find out why these thing are happening. I'm sure google will never say they have a problem.
i thinks you should Turning off personalization Google Search Engine Results from your account from Explorer. If you aren't signed in to a Google Account, your search experience will be customized based on past search information linked to a cookie on your browser. To disable history-based customizations, follow these steps: 1. In the top right corner of the search results page, click Web History. 2. On the resulting page, click Disable customizations.(Because this preference is stored in a cookie, it'll affect anyone else who uses the same browser and computer as you).
I live in canada and I've found that IE usally searches google.com and firefox searches google.ca so if your not in the usa make sure you are searching the same google page because the results are different from google.com and google.ca. or probably any other geographical location.
Thanks Georgenbowser, I did what you said and that solved the problem. Internet Explorer now reads my page position correctly (too bad it is not on page 1 afterall. I was hoping the Firefox position of my website on page 2 was wrong).