does google do whois on domains?

[bluecorr]

I own a website and for a certain keyword it's on the first page when searching www.google.co.uk with "search only pages from the uk" checked. The problem is I am NOT from the UK, the domain was purchased by someone in the uk though. Does google verify the whois on a certain domain? and when does it do that? every time it spiders a site or just the first time?

Thanks

Carmen

[Lisa]

Google just looks at the IP address of the domain hosting the site. If that IP is in the UK, then you will be in the UK search. Google doesn't check whois for where to place your site.

[bluecorr]

but if the IP is numeric? How does it know it's in the UK? (as a matter of fact it is hosted in the UK)

[seindal]

IP-addresses are assigned in huge blocks to some of the major players, such as the local authorities of the national TLDs. They in turn redistribute those IPs to others within their realm. In that way the geographical location of an IP can more or less be deduced from the leading part of the IP-address, simpy by looking at the numbers and matching against a database of known IP-blocks and their assignment. It can be defeated, but it mostly works.

René.