Displaying Google Searches & Ads from a Different Geography or Region

Now that Google is moving away from a “monolithic” index, it’s common for people in different geographies to get completely different results from a Google search. So when discussing search results with a client or testing geo-targeted adwords, it’s often useful to have Google show me the results as if I were in a different area.

To accomplish this only requires a little manipulation of the query string parameters.

For example, a normal query for mangos might look like this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mangos

Note that the “q=” query string parameter tells us what the search term is. With the region parameters for San Diego, California added on the end, it looks like this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mangos&gl=US&gm=825&gr=US-CA&gcs=San%20Diego

The parameters are:

gl = Country code (full list here)
gll = Lat & Long
gr = Worldwide region code (full list here)
gcs = City (but gr must be set to the same value. Full list here)
gpc = Zip code (only works if country code is “US”)
gm = Metropolitan areas of US (full list here)

A handy trick is to let Google set them for you via their Adwords preview wizard . Simply go to:
www.google.com/adpreview

Specify the region and hit search. Then click on the frame properties on the bottom frame and copy the GL,GM,GR, & GCS params out of the URL and paste onto the end of your search.

If you’re interested in manipulating the other query string parameters Google uses, check out this handy cheatsheet.

Corey Koberg

Corey Koberg is a Founder and co-CEO at Cardinal Path where he leads the analysis, data science, media, and product development teams. He is a well-known speaker, having keynoted and led sessions on advertising, analytics, and optimization at conferences and events across the globe. Over the last decade he has taught thousands on the topics of online marketing measurement, statistical analysis, and optimization. He is the author of Display Advertising: An Hour A Day (Wiley, 2012), Google Analytics Essential Training (Lynda.com, 2011) and technical editor of several works, among them Performance Marketing with Google Analytics (Wiley, 2010), Google AdWords Essential Training (Lynda.com, 2011), and Google Website Optimizer Essential Training (Lynda.com, 2010) As a Principal, he has worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, such as Google, Chevron, Intel, NBC, Papa John’s, National Geographic, Time Warner, Universal Music, DeVry University, and others, to improve the effectiveness of their online presence through results-oriented, data-driven optimization. Corey holds a degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois and has been involved in Internet-related engineering and consulting for over 15 years, beginning his career in the NCSA labs that developed the world’s first web browser. Corey is a proud husband and father of three children and enjoys sailboat racing, downhill skiing, and photography. He is involved on a volunteer basis with the University of Illinois and the local Emergency Response Team.