How to use Google with .com instead of national extension

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 19, 2012

Google is driving me nuts by everytime resetting the search preferences from .com to my national .nl domain. Is there a way to stop google doing that?

Jim Cole · Feb 20, 2012

when doing a search, add +.com to the search phrase. Make sure that you leave a space between what you want to search for and the +.com

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 2, 2012

Jim Cole said:
when doing a search, add +.com to the search phrase. Make sure that you leave a space between what you want to search for and the +.com

Nope, that only searches dotcom sites and leaves other domains out. I have the same issue, i need sometimes to use google.com but can't since it resets to FI. Google has some clever localization code, it can detect even thru proxies where you are... Tor network gives google.com, KProxy gives google.fi. So when testing new SEO best to use Tor, it gives non-personalized, non-localized results with Ghostery installed. I can't think of any other way. Google strangely gives very few results when searching the answer to this but then again, about 99,9999% of Google search users want to have personalized, localized content.

Bram Hengeveld · Mar 2, 2012

You can set it on the right bottom of the page "google in english" and it stays there for a while but the moment you restart your browsers its .national again.

I am getting so annoyed by it that i am seriously looking for an alternative searchengine

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 2, 2012

Bram Hengeveld said:
You can set it on the right bottom of the page "google in english" and it stays there for a while but the moment you restart your browsers its .national again.

I am getting so annoyed by it that i am seriously looking for an alternative searchengine

Same here, i hate how Google decides to override user settings periodically. I'm already swhitching off from GMail, it doesn't feel like it's just an email provider anymore. Same mentality drives Google these days in all it's services.

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 2, 2012

Bram Hengeveld said:
You can set it on the right bottom of the page "google in english" and it stays there for a while but the moment you restart your browsers its .national again.

I am getting so annoyed by it that i am seriously looking for an alternative searchengine

Actually my Google doesn't even give that option, only option are to use Google.FI in swedish. No .com options and if i type google.com to address bar it redirects to FI domain, no matter what. I can get to google.com only via Tor network. Haven't tried IE yet, Firefox and Chrome are google dependant browsers.

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 2, 2012

BTW, just as a curiosity, Google switched it's user policy a few moments ago. My google.fi is in old 90's html mode.. NoScript blocked new scripts from googleusercontent.com and gmodules.com.

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/demo/m_20120302-ldvt-74kb.jpg That what i get when i put Google.com to the addressbar and press enter.. I actually prefer it this way, much simpler, won't be getting stupid doodles and since from now on, all Google sites share single privacy policy, well.. get your tinhats on..Or not, a recent Berkely study produced wonderful results: http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/ So are tinfoilhats actually a conspiracy? Should i take mine off? But it does fit to my magic crystal skull collection so nicely..

Lee Knight · Mar 2, 2012

"So are tinfoilhats actually a conspiracy?...."
Ahhh......Possibly explains why Ive had better results with a brown paper bag over my head!

But back to the original subject, Ive had good results searching for stuff using Speedbit as my default engine.
It still uses Goggle but without all the Goggle intrusions......
http://home.speedbit.com/?aff=105
I even ended up setting my Linux-Ubuntu's Firefox to it after it's success on my Windows XP install.

BTW, Ive often thought Windows should've been called "Microsoft's Back-door"....

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 2, 2012

Thanks for the tip. It has one adtracker but that was blocked by default. Without that it's just the old google.plus Bing results.

Jim Cole · Mar 3, 2012

Kennett Ylitalo said:
Nope, that only searches dotcom sites and leaves other domains out. I have the same issue, i need sometimes to use google.com but can't since it resets to FI. Google has some clever localization code, it can detect even thru proxies where you are... Tor network gives google.com, KProxy gives google.fi. So when testing new SEO best to use Tor, it gives non-personalized, non-localized results with Ghostery installed. I can't think of any other way. Google strangely gives very few results when searching the answer to this but then again, about 99,9999% of Google search users want to have personalized, localized content.

The thread title was asking how to search .com sites so that is the best way to do so. Had the OP asked how to search with a different nationality as the default rather than asking for .com sites I would not have replied.

Bram Hengeveld · Mar 3, 2012

You are right, worded the title in the wrong way, sorry. Changed the title.

I guess its just not possible. Maybe switching to local domains is better for their servers?

Ho3n3r · Mar 29, 2012

What would the reason or benefit be to use .com instead of .co.za?

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 29, 2012

Sometimes you need global search results instead of localized ones. One use is to see how Search Engine Optimization (CEO) is working on your website. Google is intelligent search engine and it learns what you want and that can be a major hindrance to see where you rank in search terms. Exaple: If i google simracing and then go to RD, Google will start to give me RD as top result even if it isn't ranked no1#

For most users this is advantage since they will find the info they are looking for faster but when you are looking find info that is not based on your location, you need to use .com ...

For me, the info i'm usually looking for anyway is not found on the top three results if i let Google totally personalize my searches since it's offering fi sites first, there are so many companies that instead of offering the real support, they are trying to get me to buy something... Like when searching for drivers, it offers a few finnish sites that works with their own download managers that most likely are malwares, it even gives these sites before microsoft.com if i try to update directx. That's why.

Basically, the localized content is worse than global in 2/10 cases. But if i would be among the 99% of users that are trying to find recipes, lolcats or the nearest pizzeria, i would love the localized content...

Ho3n3r · Mar 29, 2012

Kennett Ylitalo said:
Sometimes you need global search results instead of localized ones. One use is to see how Search Engine Optimization (CEO) is working on your website. Google is intelligent search engine and it learns what you want and that can be a major hindrance to see where you rank in search terms. For most users this is advantage since they will find the info they are looking for but when you are looking find info that is not based on your location, you need to use .com ...

For me, the info i'm usually looking for anyway is not found on the top three results if i let Google totally personalize my searches since it's offering fi sites first, there are so many companies that instead of offering the real support, they are trying to get me to buy something... Like when searching for drivers, it offers a few finnish sites that works with their own download managers that most likely are malwares, it even gives these sites before microsoft.com if i try to update directx. That's why.

Basically, the localized content is worse than global in 2/10 cases. But if i would be among the 99% of users that are trying to find recipes, lolcats or the nearest pizzeria, i would love the localized content...

Thanks! We learn something new every day

And if I'm right, the local Google also brings up more local results first in the autocomplete box, am I right?

Kennett Ylitalo · Mar 29, 2012

That is correct. For people that work in web design ( i don't, it's just a hobby) or people that live abroad ( a frind of mine lives in Netherland but don't speak dutch) or when looking for specialized stuff, the .com is the best option But Google has made it impossible to do without using proxies.. For me, i've installed Ghostery to keep myself out of tracking cookies explicitly because of my needs. My Google is better with it, also i get to avoid FB tracking my behaviour... The latter is tinfoil hattery but i just don't like that the site that has the most personal stuff in will know more about me that i already are giving them.. Anonymous web is almost a history but i try to hang on to that utopia.. In that sense, web was way better 6 years ago.

When i compare my web to majority of users, my websites look very different... No personalized ads, basically no ads at all, no ads that have read my email and try to offer me stuff (GMail...

), faster load times, uncluttered layouts.. Everything is better and much closer to what we really should have... I do a lot of clean installs based on clients needs and mostly i need to install adblockers, noscript etc just to save bandwidth and to keep the browser light. And to stop them installing malware by accident. Allthou the latter would probably keep them coming back faster but even with all the stops and advices, they still manage to have Ask toolbar within 6 months so...