Despite the UK and Australia being about the most geographically distant places on the planet, Google continues to confuse the two from time to time. I’ve no idea if this is commonplace throughout the world. Maybe the SEO community of St. Kitts and Nevis or Nauru is forever up in arms about getting results from the Ascension Islands or Bumfrog Falls, Idaho or something. If someone has the answer, let me know (bonus points if you leave a comment with the username “SEO company St. Kitts and Nevis”).

Anyway, while looking idly over the market for home loans the other day, I discovered Google at it once more. Not only does Google continue to insist that I am in Manchester, which is terrible (Leeds lad. Wars of the Roses. Long story) but despite that belief, it spatters results from the Pacific Rim around with gay abandon.

A snippet thereupon:

Ah well. It doesn’t spell the end of the world. It’s just slightly baffling when you’re logged in on the .co.uk version of Google, which identifies your location within 50 miles and correctly serves you UK AdWords results.

More weirdly still, the plural – “home loans” – has no such problem.

Curious, non? The problem exists for both exact searches and broad searches to various extents.

Firstly, this is a salutory reminder that pluralisations can and do matter. While “home loans” has a search volume of around 1600 a month, “home loan” still has a nice little 880 searches a month and Google clearly differentiates between the two.

Secondly, this is a salutory reminder that the Australians are closer than we think and must be stopped. Revenge for the Ashes?