Different positions in google...

just by switching the number of results per page

[mattglet]

I just found something weird again, that I have noticed before, but always forget about. I regularly keep track of a keyword that I don't target specifically, but still like to see how I'm doing with it. If I view 10 results per page, I am #48 out of 4.67 million. If I view 100 results per page, I am #55 out of 4.67 million. Has anyone else ever seen this? I have counted and recounted the rank. If you don't believe, sticky me for the term, and you can see for yourself.

-Matt

[DerekH]

Yes, that's how it works!

If you look on a typical page of SERPS, you'll see at least one site followed that's followed by an indented entry.
The indented entry is a second entry for the same domain, that has been promoted up and tucked under the first entry. For example, if www.example.com was listed at positions 2 and 10, the tenth entry would be tucked under the second entry.
There may be other entries gathered in the same way - there'll be a "more results from" under the indented entry.

Now, if you have 10 results per page, you will only fold in results in the same block of 10. The next page starts afresh.

This means that if your site were to appear in the SERPS like this...
Entries 1, 10, 11, 20, 21,30
then when you list 10 results per page, you'll have an entry on page 1 comprising entry 1 (with entry 10 folded in underneath), an entry on page 2 comprising entry 11 with entry 20 folded in.....

With 100 results per page, you'll find them all folded in to the first entry.

When it's either you or your competitor that has pages like this, it affects very dramatically how you figure in the results with different numbers of entries per page.

But if you are somewhere between 48 and 55, then whichever result you believe, you need to improve on it!
DerekH

[AjiNIMC]

Even I have seen that in the past but DerekH is there with the answer.

But after florida update I am not looking at the SERPs, it is giving me shocks, from #55 to #113, then yesterday cannt find in top 500.

I donot think this has a explanation.

Aji