People often ask how they can see google search results from locations other than their own. There are a variety of reasons why someone might want to do this.

• You are far away from home but you are still getting results near your house
• You are planning a trip and want to research the local restaurants and attractions.
• You are just curious about people in other regions see when they search

Either way, there are several things you can do to alter the search results to reflect different locations. The good news is that although it has become more difficult over the years, you certainly won’t need advanced knowledge of the Google Search API in order to access other locations.

Change Location on Google Chrome

You can change the location settings in Chrome with this neat trick. You need to open up the Developer Tools in order to access this hidden option. To open the Develop Tools, press control, shift, and I on a windows computer. Mac users can press Cmd, options, and I at the same time. Once you see the new tab on the side of your screen, click the button with the three dots to access a new menu. From there, select the more tools option.

Then you can click the sensors button to open a new window. There is a drop down menu that has a list of preset locations. You can select the location closest to what you need. If you need a more specific location, click the custom location option at the top of the menu. You can then enter the latitude and longitude of the exact spot you want to see. If you are unsure of the coordinates, go to LatLong and type in the address. This handy site will tell you the coordinates of that specific address.

Use a Chrome Extension

Many software developers have created tools that you can add to your browser in order to view other locations. Manual Geolocation is by far the simplest of these tools. Just install this extension in chrome and restart your browser in order for it to take effect. Then, you click on the icon in the top right corner of the browser to access the location settings. Simply type in the latitude and longitude of where you want to search from.

Alternatively, you can drag the pin on the map in order to set the location visually. Your searches will come from that location until you disable or remove the extension.

If you want to know how popular certain sites are in other areas around the world, Rank Tracker is the tool for you. It works just like the map feature of Manual Geolocation. Just drag the pin to the spot on the map you are inquiring about. Now when you search you can see how popular each site is as you are scrolling through all the results. This is a great tool for web developers that want to know what demographics they can market to.

Hide Your IP address

If you aren’t comfortable changing your location on Chrome, you can use a proxy server to hide your IP address. The proxy serves as a middle man between Google and your computer. Instead of seeing your location, Google will see the location of the proxy server.

• You May Also Like: The Importance of Online Privacy in 2019

If you want to get extra technical, you can download a VPN in order to get additional perks. Virtual Private Networks offer complete encryption so your location is completely hidden from Google and other onlookers. You can gain unblocked access to all the apps and search results from the particular region you select. VPNs are the ultimate in internet privacy and will surely aid you in searching from other regions.

Just make sure you do your homework because all VPNs vary in quality. You may even opt for a paid one in order to get the most reliable service. They are usually only about five dollars a month and provide a host of benefits and protection from price discrimination so you can save money when shopping for things in other regions.