UPPER CASE vs lower case Keywords

[emjael07]

Sorry if this is a rather "SEO 101" question (Actually, there are 2, but I'll ask the other one in another post), but...

Yesterday I noticed that Google returned different results (total results and rankings) from terms inputted in all UPPER case than it did from terms inputted in all lower case. Naturally, I'm curious as to Why, but the larger question is:

Does it make any difference whether web page keywords (etc.) are exhibited as all upper or all lower case? Any preferences?

And...

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to including both versions (PHOTOGRAPHER, photographer...) in one's keywords, since Google (or GOOGLE, as may be the case) does seem to differentiate between the two?

Many thanks--have great weekends all of you.

 

[Keral_Patel]

Humm.... have heard it first time.

I am always getting same set of results for searching Captials or Non capitals.

Can you please give more information.

 

[emjael07]

OK... Thanks, Nick, for your interest. I haven't run too many tests on this, but there appears to be a drift towards the event occurring more with geo-names. ATLANTA PLUMBER, for instance, received 369,000 returns, versus atlanta plumber, which got 375,000...?!?!?

But wait! There's more! Atlanta Plumber raked in 370,000. Go figure...

I'm running these tests on Google's Advanced search page, line one (All these words). I assume that most people run their searches off that line--if only because moving to the "exact phrase" line would require actual, however minuscule, effort.

But I digress... Like I said, I didn't run very many tests. A few Portland-related and a couple of Atlanta-related names.

Kinda interesting, though. I'm still pretty much a newbie, but it seems a difference in keyword results on one level (the actual search) might signal a difference in how Google sees the words on our web pages. Yes? No?

emjael07

 

[Keral_Patel]

Humm... It does shows difference in number of results returned.

The results returned which I compared were almost same.

Wondering which 1000 are more in "atlanta plumber"

 

[weblord]

Capitalization

Google searches are NOT case sensitive. All letters, regardless of how you type them, will be understood as lower case. For example, searches for george washington, George Washington, and gEoRgE wAsHiNgToN will all return the same results.

http://www.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=searchguides.html&ctx=basics&hl=en

but it's different when you start searching
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=WEBLORD
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=weblord

Sorry if this is a rather "SEO 101" question (Actually, there are 2, but I'll ask the other one in another post), but...

Yesterday I noticed that Google returned different results (total results and rankings) from terms inputted in all UPPER case than it did from terms inputted in all lower case. Naturally, I'm curious as to Why, but the larger question is:

Does it make any difference whether web page keywords (etc.) are exhibited as all upper or all lower case? Any preferences?

And...

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to including both versions (PHOTOGRAPHER, photographer...) in one's keywords, since Google (or GOOGLE, as may be the case) does seem to differentiate between the two?

Many thanks--have great weekends all of you.

 

[emjael07]

Thanks for the replies.

Ah...while I see from where you're coming, Weblord, in that Google seems pretty clear about there being no difference, the weird fact remains that there is a difference between all upper-case entries and all lower-case or mixed entries. I find it interesting that Google cites only all lower-case or mixed upper/lower-case examples (see: George Washington), but does not mention all-upper-case at all. And I can see where a lot of people might input a search query using only upper-case letters.

Also, keep in mind that this phenomenon seems to occur only (or, at least, primarily) with geo-associated names--hence, the Atlanta/ATLANTA examples.

Nick, you were wondering what was up with the other 1K results from the atlanta plumber query. My reply is: That's a helluva good question. In another round of test queries, regarding Portland photographers, I notuiced that rankings were slightly different. A 7 might move down to 8 or 9. Nothing radical, but noticeable.

Overall, though, I think the Greater Question remains: Does "case" affect SEO? If I have, say, "portland photographer" in my title/tags, etc., will I be ranked higher or lower than were I to have "PORTLAND PHOTOGRAPHER"? I wouldn't have thought so in the past, but given what I've found in the past 36 hours, I'm not so sure. If Google acknowledges and acts on a difference in search query, might it not do so with it's spider crawls?

Thoughts...???

 

[benzdorf]

Thanx for the info !

 

[Keral_Patel]

Overall, though, I think the Greater Question remains: Does "case" affect SEO? If I have, say, "portland photographer" in my title/tags, etc., will I be ranked higher or lower than were I to have "PORTLAND PHOTOGRAPHER"?

Of course it could affect SEO if there are less number of search results to compete with.

But I still doubt it would be that easy. LOL but after all a great find.

 

[R9V.com]

yes, sadly I feel this is one aspect of the algothrythm that should be changed asap - but in mean time SEO your site to lowercase title and meta keyword as you will have greater success across the board.