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How to Force Google Chrome to Use Google.com Instead of Country Specific Version

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force chrome google dot comAs a marketer, I prefer using Google.com as my primary search engine for many reasons.  Sometimes I want US based searches but primarily it is because often Google tests or releases features on .com first.  And if I ever need to do local-based searches, I can easily head to my country specific Google version instead.

But in Chrome, even if the default search engine is set as Google.com, it will still automatically route the searcher to the Google version for the country they are in, requiring users to go back to Google.com and click the “Go to Google.com” link that appears in the homepage footer.

There is a way to set Google.com as the default in Chrome, for marketers wishing to keep an eye on the Google.com search results instead of their own country version.

First, in Chrome, go to settings then click “Manage search engines”, even if it currently shows Google as the default.

chrome force com 1Then scroll all the way to the bottom until you see the “Add a new search engine” box.

chrome force com 2For search engine name, type “Google NCR” and for keyword type “Google NCR_” – this will serve to remind you that this is the Google search with “No Country Redirect” enabled, although you can name it whatever you’d like.  I’d avoid naming it just “Google” to prevent confusion.

Then, in the URL field, enter:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&pws=0&gl=us&gws_rd=cr

Be sure it is exactly as above, including all parameters.   Add it, save as default search engine, then set this new Google NCR as the default search engine.

It should now show up like this:

chrome force com 3And now when you search with Google Chrome using the address/search bar, it will always search using Google.com without the country redirect.

Do note that your local search results may be skewed by using Google.com although the AdWords ads displayed will still be geotargeted to your location, which is working as intended.  If you want to see AdWords ads for another country, you would need to use a proxy or VPN to do so.

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Jennifer Slegg

Founder & Editor at The SEM Post
Jennifer Slegg is a longtime speaker and expert in search engine marketing, working in the industry for almost 20 years. When she isn't sitting at her desk writing and working, she can be found grabbing a latte at her local Starbucks or planning her next trip to Disneyland. She regularly speaks at Pubcon, SMX, State of Search, Brighton SEO and more, and has been presenting at conferences for over a decade.

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Comments

  3. The correct link should be:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=%s{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:bookmarkBarPinned}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}{google:instantExtendedEnabledParameter}{google:omniboxStartMarginParameter}{google:contextualSearchVersion}ie={inputEncoding}

    • Thanks, however you missed an ‘&’ that messes up searches direct from URL Bar… below is the correct URL:
      https://www.google.com/search?q=%s{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:bookmarkBarPinned}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}{google:instantExtendedEnabledParameter}{google:omniboxStartMarginParameter}{google:contextualSearchVersion}ie={inputEncoding}

  5. Thanks for this article, it was very useful. I travel a lot and I get quite annoyed by what I call “forced localization”. As a software engineer I don’t get one thing: why aren’t users simply asked: would like to use: a) a local version or b) the US version?

    Enough ranting. Thanks!

  6. Do you know how to do this for the Chrome Android app? At present, when I enter Google.com, it redirects to my country’s Google webpage.

  7. thank you! I knew there should be a simple way – all the other blog articles on this topic were way too convoluted (involved editing chrome resource files… blegh).