VPN connnection changes my Google search results significantly

[lgn1]

We get different search results for google.com and google.ca and this is expected, as Google ranks Canadian and American sites by the country of origin of links and other geotargeted factors.

I recently setup my entire home network as a VPN network, mainly so i can get US netflix in Canada, but as a side effect I have noticed a dramatic change in search results.

Google now thinks I am an American browsing on the web from upstate NY, and I am getting dramatically different search results.

For one site, browsing as a pseudo-American (due to VPN), I am totally out of the serps for google.com, but I am in a even better position under google.ca

For another of my sites, the exact opposite is true, where I am up for google.com, but 20 pages back for google.ca

I expect a little bit of change, due to google tweeking for local content, but most of my competition is national in scope, so I would expect little change.

Can someone explain why I am getting such crazy results, or are experincing the same thing over a VPN connection?

[goodroi]

google is trying very hard to personalize the serps. if you are logged into your google account, then google will use your history to personalize the serps. if you are not logged in, google will still personalize the serps based on data from your computer, isp and cookie.

google is also constantly testing tweaks to the algo. it is possible you encountered one of these tests.

google also has been known to rank sites differently based on the time of day (ie some websites only do well 9am-5pm).

imho those are three of the more common reasons why serps are different.

[lgn1]

I don't use the google toolbar and I do clear my cache.

My VPN host, gives my the capability to use differnt vpn locations within the USA, and the results are 90% the same.

From what I can figure out; Google does not count american links for link juice on google.ca and google does not count canadian links for link juice on google.com

Our servers are in the USA, so we are not being geotargeted on this.

It is pointless for google to have all these google.xx coutnry domains, if they are going to filter traffic on google.com based on what country you are in.