Test reported number of hits

Google's reported number of hits varies

[HitProf]

Depending on where you are and which browser/tool you use, Google reports different numbers of hits.

Please report! (copy & paste)

Search for www

Location: Netherlands, the Hague
Time: November 6, 12.57
Tool: IE 6.0
Hits: 32,900,000

Location: Netherlands, the Hague
Time: November 6, 12.58
Tool: Opera
Hits: 971,000,000

Location: Netherlands, the Hague
Time: November 6, 1.59
Tool: Google's Toolbar in IE
Hits: 971,000,000

[rfgdxm1]

IE and toolbar: 32,200,000
Opera: 33,700,000

Looks like Google is broke. These should be the same.

[rfgdxm1]

Less than 5 minutes later with IE: 971,000,000

Google's definitely broke. At least in a minor way though.

[Giacomo]

I guess that's because the November update has not settled yet: inconsistency and some fluctuation in the results is pretty normal during and around the dance.

[Brett_Tabke]

If you use the api, it can tell you if the search numbers are an estimate or exact. Notice that it says "about" near the number of results. If it does, it means its an estimate. Not sure what the ramifications of that are, but its happened for quite some time.

[HitProf]

it says "about" near the number of results

It does, this is a factor 30 difference. Different databases for different sources? And numbers vary from place to place and from time to time, for all searches.

For one of my clients I saw something like 1,82 milion hits, then 1,5 m, then 1,7 and now it's 1,83. (all today). A friend in Enschede gets different numbers as well. Usually less, today he got more :-((

[Jocelyn]

I just ran a search for the word "the". It reports about 3,360,000,000 results.
But, when I try to reach le last result, I end on page 100 with the 997th result.
What happened to the 3, 360, 000, 003 missing results?
It's amazing how they count results...

Tested with Google Toolbar
in IE6
From Sweden