Are you on the first page of Google? Why you no longer answer this question…

Now that Google has made the shift to Personalized Search even when a user is not logged-in, domain owners can no longer exclaim – “I’m on the first page of Google!” Why? There is no longer a way to know if you really are on the first page of Google since every user receives different results when they search!

While you can turn-off “Web History” do you really think the average web users is going to do this?

For SEO-enthusiasts like myself this is a bit concerning as I now have no way of knowing if my site has made it to the first page of Google for a particular search query. It might show-up on the first page for me – but does it for everyone else?

Here’s an example – when I search “domain investor” I see my blog on the first page of Google. Normally I would jump for joy – but now I think…is that really what everyone else sees?

We have been developing domains with a strong focus on SEO – checking Google to see when we make the first page has become a daily ritual. Now it makes less sense to do this. Now I’m not saying Personalized Search will ruin the market – it could actually get more traffic to our properties…but we just don’t know!

So for all of you who have enjoyed telling people – “I’m on the first page of Google!” You might want to reconsider since where your site ends-up depends on who is doing the searching…

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton