G displays different SERPs when preferences set to 100 results

Why is that?

[DeValle]

When I changed my preferences in Google from 10 results per page to 100 per page, I saw different results.

In the top 20 of the 100/page results there were now results that showed index.html page plus an internal page.

In the 10 results per page, only the main pages showed.

Why is this? I mean, I can understand it when considering the results from a mathematical "weight" frame of reference that's skewed by the number of results displayed. That is, the internal pages' value when divided by 10 are "less" than when divided by 100.

But why do they do this? Seems to me like it's something they need to work on.

[FlexAjaxSEO]

Google is not one machine - .com is MANY servers so slight variations will take place.

[edited by: FlexAjaxSEO at 4:07 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2007]

[SEOMike]

In the top 20 of the 100/page results there were now results that showed index.html page plus an internal page.

That should be your first clue that there's something going on...

NOT related to seeing by 10 or 100

This statement is not true.

Google rearranges the listings like this when there is more than one listing from a site in the results being viewed. The supplemental listing could have been in position 38 but now that there's another result from the same site on the page, it'll show up as a supplemental of the highest ranking result and should no longer appear at 38.

My advice, look at the listings w/ 10 results. :)

[edited by: SEOMike at 3:36 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2007]

[jimbeetle]

When I changed my preferences in Google from 10 results per page to 100 per page, I saw different results.

In the top 20 of the 100/page results there were now results that showed index.html page plus an internal page.

That's the way Google works. If two pages from the same domain (or sub) would show on the same results page, those pages are clustered and one is presented as an "indented" result under the higher ranked page. Changing your settings to 100 results per page makes it more likely that multiple pages from the same domain would appear on the page. That causes a reclustering of the results.

Looks like SEOMike has a quicker trigger finger than I.

[SEOMike]

A neat little thing I played with when they first started the supplemental results thing:

[google.com]/search?as_q=widget&hl=en&num=20
That string will render 20 results for widget. Say there are some sites with supplemental results. To find out the actual position of the supplemental result, change the num= string. Take it down one result at a time until the supplemental breaks apart and the other listing falls off.

Edit reason: broke the link

[edited by: SEOMike at 3:53 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2007]

[tedster]

For the sake of clarity, I think SEOMike is discussing "indented results" here - not true "supplemental results [webmasterworld.com]" that Google handles with a different database parition.

[edited by: tedster at 5:47 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2007]

[SEOMike]

Yeah... sorry. Monday morning after a weekend of drinking. :)

[jastra]

Tks jimbeetle and SEOmike.