How can you view Google search results abroad?

When getting started with international SEO, it is important to also check the actual Google search results abroad . This allows you to see which competitors are active here, what they are doing, and most importantly, where the opportunities lie to get more out of these results. In this article, I’ll take you through how I do this.

How do I view Google search results abroad?

To view Google search results for another country, there are several methods that can be used. Here are some effective approaches:

1. Using the URL parameter: Google’s URLs often include a country code (such as google.fr for France or google.co.jp for Japan).(1) By simply navigating to a country’s specific Google domain, one can view search results for that country. However, it is important to note that Google tries to personalize results based on location, even if you use a specific country domain.
2. Setting the location in Google Search Settings: Google offers the option to set the location manually in the search settings. This can influence search results to be more relevant to the chosen location. This setting can be found under Search Settings > Location.
3. Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN is one of the most effective methods of changing your location online. By connecting to a server in the country of interest, Google will think the search is coming from that country. This results in search results tailored to that location.
4. Incognito mode or private navigation: While this does not directly change location settings, starting a new session in incognito mode or private navigation (without logging into a Google account) can help you get more generic results that are less personalized based on previous searches.
5. Using Google Ads Preview and Diagnosis Tool: This tool is intended for advertisers to view their ads as they would appear in different locations. It can also be used to view organic search results from different locations worldwide.

Each of these methods can help gain a better understanding of how Google search results vary between different countries and regions, which can be particularly useful for SEO analysis, market research or just out of personal curiosity.

What is the easiest way?

Personally, I like to use a little tool (Chrome extension) called Nightwatch. Nightwatch ensures that your personal settings are not included in your search. You can easily do a search for more or less any country and language and see the correct results (see image to the right).

I have the free version as you can see (which works fine – even for me). You can enter the search query here along with the country and language you want to search for. Child can do the laundry!

Continue reading about international SEO?

Continue reading about international SEO? I have read several articles about it, you can find them below.

• International link building
• My international SEO guide
• SEO specialist for the Netherlands (cities overview page)
• A Content Delivery Network for international websites

What do the results look like?

Below I do a search “Buy black boots” in America. As can be seen from the image below is that only results for America are displayed (only Google Shopping results work a little less well, the organic results work perfectly).

Conclusion

I would use Nightwatch as a tool for this in most cases, especially if you only want to view organic search results. Simple little tool that makes this possible. Good luck!

Stox, P. (2023b, Dec. 2). URL Parameters: A Complete Guide for SEOs. SEO Blog By Ahrefs. https://ahrefs.com/blog/url-parameters/