Interface language causes different SERPs

[Gringo]

On certain searches, Google returns different SERPs when the interface language is changed. Note that this isn't the "Search only for pages written in these language(s)" option. In theory I should be seeing exactly the same SERPs, but the presentation in a different language.

Try doing several searches (because it doesn't always show) and then add the &hl=xx parameter where xx is the ISO country code for whatever language you best understand (e.g. en=English, es=Spanish, de=German), etc.

Anybody have an explanation for this?

P.S.
Thanks in advance for the Welcomes, although I have posted many times before under a different nick :)

[vitaplease]

Gringo revisted,

there were some discussion (maybe in your previous member life) in this thread on different results per Google language version:

[webmasterworld.com...]

also check the threads mentioned in that thread.

[Gringo]

vitaplease - thanks for that (I did a site search for interface language and couldn't find anything relevant). In any case, most of the discussion in the threads you pointed me to is centred around the language of a website or local Google versions, not the interface language.

I can certainly understand different SERPs for websites in a different language, but why should Google present different listings if I am still searching at google.com and for sites of all languages. All I change is the language Google displays the results in - this shouldn't affect the results themselves.

The only conclusion I could find in all the threads mentioned is a comment by ciml ..
"Search for hotel YourCountry with and without adding &hl=de to the end (where YourCountry is in Europe). The differences are significant. Though not 100%, the correlation between these changes and RIPE data is compelling"

While this may be true, I stil think that if the only parameter you change is the Interface Language, the SERPs should remain the same.

[heini]

>the only parameter you change is the Interface Language, the SERPs should remain the same

So true. The fact that for some time, in some ultra competitive areas this is not the case definitely is food for thought. The term geo-trageting comes to mind, doesn't it?

[Gringo]

I can understand geo-targeting when I specifically ask for it, by specifying the "Search only for pages written in these language(s)" option, but not when I only change the "interface Language" option.

This second option should say that I want Google's own comments to change, not the websites it presents for a search.

Oh well, I guess the only explanation is that Google wants it this way, but my opinion is that it they aren't interpreting the option correctly.

thanks.

[heini]

>not correctly
ya, but Gringo, Google uses the interface language settings anyway for personalisation.
Ever wondered how Google does the adwords restrictions? Like when you choose to let Google display your ad only to french users, or spanish?
It's not IP targeting, it's simply the interface language setting.
So why shouldn't they in a next step start serving different serps along with the different adwords?

[heini]

Correction: for targeting languages in the adwords settings it's the user interface language. Not so for targeting adwords towards specific countries. That would be very likely user IP based. Not sure there, started a thread in adwords asking for input.