google camo
Now You See Me…
Google Camo is a Firefox extension that simply manages and monitors your Google personalized search results. This plug-in is designed to allow SEOs to easily and automatically opt out of Google personalized search when signed out of their Google account.
Why We Made It
If you’re an SEO, you search the web. A lot. Unless you opt out, Google’s new search personalization feature is keeping track of your clicks and personally tailoring search results accordingly, whether or not you have a Google account.
Concerns have been raised among SEOs who have traditionally tracked their sites—or their clients’ sites—using search results to measure progress.
Although Google has said it is unlikely to show completely different search results for everyone, if you’re doing extensive research on a particular term or niche (Ahem, clicking your competitors, maybe?) you’re going to trigger some personalization… and you may not like what you see. Avoid the frustration of having the competition show up higher than it should.
Do you use Wikipedia to learn more about your clients’ or affiliate products and services? You don’t want the 100 lb gorilla pushed to the top of even more search results when gauging how competitive a SERP is. That’s an unfair match!
Do a lot of shopping on the clock? (Tsk, tsk!) Your favorite shopping sites shouldn’t influence your research for an e-commerce site.
A Real Choice
Sure, you can choose to opt out. But, once you delete your cookies, you’re automatically opted back in to Google’s personalized search. How’s that for choice? Chances are if you frequently clear your cookies, you’re probably concerned about privacy. And you’re likely turning off search personalization, as well. Google Camo will automatically re-set the opt out feature every time you clear your cookies.
How It Works
Google Camo’s color-coordinated icon lets you know when search personalization is enabled due to your individual Google settings. Best of all, it has a heads up display, so you always know—signed in or out of Google—when your search results are likely to be customized… and compromised.
Know Your Status
Green
Camo is enabled. When you load Firefox, Google Camo will automatically set your preferences to disable signed-out personalized search.Yellow
You’re signed in to a Google account. Camo doesn’t manage your Google account settings—only your signed-out settings. Your results may or may not be personalized based on what you’ve chosen. (Note: the default account setting is to allow personalization.)Gray
Camo is disabled. This setting turns on personalization of your Google search results.Red
An error has occurred. We hope you’ll never see this one, but if you do, e-mail us at camo@iexposure.com. Please provide as much information on what you were doing at the time and we’ll look into it!
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