Search Results Personalization

Search results personalization refers to differences in search results influenced by available user-specific context and preferences, in addition to broader factors such as query wording and location. Two people searching for a landscaper may not see an identical results page, even when they enter the same words. Personalization should not be treated as the sole explanation for ranking changes; device, language, location, timing, and experiments can also affect what appears. Businesses reviewing visibility should rely on consistent Search Console trends and appropriately designed local tests instead of one person's screenshot. Search results personalization is broader than proximity alone, which concerns the searcher's geographic relationship to businesses.