Personalized search has always been a sticking point for SEO, considering that everyone sees slightly differing search results after they first visit a website.
The New Revised Google 3 Column Design
Despite the mixed emotions from the new Google web page design shifting from a minimalist layout to a usability-based three column link and function-rich navigation scheme; many features have either changed locations or have been lost in the shuffle.
One of our favorite features making a comeback to the layout in a less conspicuous location than its previous “above the fold” status… the coveted“view customizations” a.k.a “free me from personalized search results please” feature.
Considering that personalization exists in the search engine result pages – meaning, if you have previously visited a website, there is a possibility that your browser has been stamped with a 180 day cookie that will highlight any related keywords pertaining to that site.
The end result is, that the site you visited may appear higher in the SERPs the next time you look for something related. While this may not be a problem for some, seeing the search engine result pages “how they are” and not “how they are skewed from personalized search” is a preference.
In case this is your preference as well, here is how to turn personalization off.
You can (1) add the search operator &pws=0 after the url parameter in your search query or (2) scroll to the bottom of your Google search> click the view customizations link > then click the option to view your keyword “without these improvements” to remove the personalized effects of browser history and previous cookie derived visits.
Option 1:
Add &pws=0 to the URL to turn off personalization or...
Option #2:
Click the Google View Customizations Option
Then click…
Click Without These Improvements Link to Turn Off Personalization
After that you should be able to view the main data center clients1.google.com unobstructed and non-personalized search results for the keyword in question. Rinse and repeat as needed to see search results as they were before any filters may have been active. You can also use PageWash (a website that removes scripts) to accomplish the same objective.
Thanks for visiting. Stay tuned for other useful SEO tips and tactics from SEO Design Solutions or subscribe to our RSS feed.
Read More Related Posts
First I would like to thank Matt Cutts (Software Engineer and Chief of the Webspam Team for Google) and Eric Enge from Stone Temple Consulting for the great interview they ...
READ MORE 
If you are employing Search Engine Optimization (
SEO) on a website, then you can use Google search operators to gather resourceful metrics for competitive research and analysis to fine-tune optimization. Think ...
Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools are a storehouse of data which can be used for search engine optimization. However, when combined with a few other stellar SEO tools creates ...
READ MORE 
A seasoned SEO will tell you, it’s not always the keywords you choose that will drive the most visitors and traffic to your website.You have to implement keyword research to ...
READ MORE 
In case you haven't noticed, search results have been in a state of flux for the past week for competitive keywords in Google. For many SEO's its back to the ...
READ MORE Google is not making SEO “an easy endeavor” for search engine optimization professionals; who, aside from competition have to wade through the waves, ripples and tides of Google’s increasingly stringent ...
READ MORE For those of you who didn’t catch the buzz, Google is rolling out another revolutionary contribution to search called “Google Instant”. To summarize, just think real-time search results that refresh ...
READ MORE With the mass amount of beta tests executed on search algorithms within the Googleplex, search results can often seem like "mixed-fruit" or a "tossed salad" for business owners trying to ...
READ MORE 
Search engine optimization involves creating an optimal set of circumstances, metrics and conditions to produce viable shifts for specific keywords in search engines. Google is the most sophisticated search engine ...
READ MORE 
In case you were wondering how to systematically achieve saturation for multiple keywords for your website in search engines (instead of just a few) using SEO, then this is a ...
READ MORE Google SEO Tips: Matt Cutts & Eric Enge
Using Google Search Operators for SEO
Google SEO: SEM Rush, Xenu, Analytics and Webmaster
Keyword Research: SEO, Traffic and Conversion
Google, Bing and SEO: Which Will Prevail?
SEO and Google: Protect Your Business from Failure!
Google Instant – Instant Real-Time Search Results
SEO and Google Search Engine Result Pages
Google Search Engine Optimization Tips
How to Build Links and Optimize your Website
Looks Like You're New Here. Welcome to the SEO Design Solutions Blog. Feel Free to Read Our Informative SEO Tips, Subscribe to Our RSS Feed or checkout our WordPress SEO Plugin SEO Ultimate or Check out our Framework for WordPress The SEO Design Framework.
I don’t have the “View Customizations” link in any of my Google SERPs.
I use “Google Chrome Incognito”, for my Google Search SEO research, just don’t login to any Google products.
SlimJim:
Conduct a search, then scroll down to the bottom. Under the bottom search bar they have the link for view customizations…
Let me know if you see it there on your interface.