What is Google’s PageRank? If you have ever done any reading about search engine optimization or were just curious how you can get your site to the top of the Google search engine results, understanding PageRank is vital. I’m going to introduce you to the basics of PageRank and also provide a brief discussion on how much you should really worry about PageRank if you are running a website or Internet business.
Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, invented PageRank and it forms the basis for how Google works. Google didn’t become the best search engine in the world by chance, it became the best search engine because it provided the best results. PageRank is in fact the technology that gave Google its competitor-killing edge, a way to greatly improve the accuracy and validity of a search response to a user query.
In essence PageRank provides a means to determine the value of a website for any given search term or keyword phrase. This value is determined by how websites link together with the more popular (and theoretically better) sites receiving more links. It’s these incoming links that help the site have a high PageRank value and thus display higher up in search results.
Let’s read how Google explains their PageRank system:
PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value. Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages “important.”
Important, high-quality sites receive a higher PageRank, which Google remembers each time it conducts a search. Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don’t match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines all aspects of the page’s content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it’s a good match for your query.
The key rule to understand is that it is a combination of variables that determine how well your site performs in Google. These are the most important variables to worry about:
- Incoming links to your site.
- The relevancy (to your site’s theme) of the pages linking to your site and the PageRank of these pages.
- The keywords that other sites use to link to your site.
- The keywords on your website in particular in places like page titles and headlines.
Some of those factors you can control, others you can manipulate but not directly control. The important thing to understand regarding PageRank is that all those variables will determine how high your site shows up in search engine results. PageRank is the name for the technology that ranks sites and includes all those variables and many more.
PageRank Numbers – The Little Green Bar
If you install the Google Toolbar into your browser you can choose to switch on the PageRank display (it’s in the options). This will make a little green bar appear above web pages you visit. The green bar represents the PageRank of the page you are viewing in your browser. The ranking starts at 0 (no ranking) up to 10, the highest ranking and can be blanked out completely if the page has been banned from Google. If you don’t want to use the toolbar you can try this free PageRank lookup tool to find the ranking for any web address.
Google created quite a storm when it launched its green PageRank bar. Webmasters became obsessed with methods to increase their PageRank and high PageRank sites started selling text links for hundreds of dollars. A link from a high PageRank page, from a PageRank 7, 8, 9 or 10, has been known to make lower PageRank pages increase a full number, even two if the incoming link is from a PageRank 10, and there is no doubt it is good for search engine rankings.
The problem with PageRank being displayed in a little green bar is that it is very hard to really gauge how valuable a ranking is. The Google PageRank technology is complex containing many variables, some of which I mentioned above, and to interpret a number from 0-10, especially when only Google really knows how it works, is difficult. Worse still, the visible representation, the green bar that the public can see, only changes on a quarterly basis, while the real PageRank of a page changes on a daily basis. Most of the time you are looking at a very outdated ranking value.
PageRank paranoia is an issue that every webmaster may fall victim to. There are rumours that Google will be changing the PageRank system because they are not happy with how it is being manipulated and interpreted. As a rule of thumb, watch the green bar with interest but don’t take it too seriously or spend too much time trying to force it to increase (staring and yelling at it will do you no good, trust me on that one).
The Randomness Of PageRank
Search engine optimization experts actively track PageRank and investigate things like page backlinks to try and work out what the top search engine ranked sites are doing right so they can replicate and then surpass them in the rankings. This is a very good strategy for any person running a web business looking to improve their search ranking. There is no need to reinvent the wheel – copy what works and do it slightly better than the competition.
This is all good in theory, but unfortunately there is a good amount of randomness in PageRank and search engine results. Google of course would argue that it’s not randomness and their PageRank system is merely using algorithms that we don’t understand, and no doubt that is true, but for the human webmaster trying to get traffic, PageRank and Google can be baffling sometimes.
There are instances of high PageRanked sites having little to no backlinks. Given that incoming links are one of the most important variables used in PageRank calculations you have to scratch your head and wonder how a site with no links could have a big green bar. Google’s own backlink lookup tool (see this article – Beginners Guide To Backlinks – for details) is another phenomenon that search engine experts often choose to ignore rather than try and evaluate.
Thankfully the randomness of PageRank can result in positive outcomes as well, with your sites jumping high into search results in places where you wouldn’t expect it. The only consistency is randomness but there is logic that can be followed and smart search engine optimization practices that when implemented well will work. Just don’t expect it to work precisely how or when you want it to.
What You Should Know And Do About PageRank
This advice I offer from experience as an avid PageRank chaser and search engine optimizer. The key to gaining PageRank is to ignore it and focus on the variables that control it.
Having people link to your site has always been a good thing and PageRank was in fact a result of this. Don’t get confused with the order of things, first came the Internet and links and then came PageRank. Focus on amassing quality incoming links from quality sites relevant to your site. This practice will naturally improve your PageRank and also increase the amount of visitors coming to your site. Don’t get bogged down chasing links from only high PageRank sites or waste energy adding links from just any site willing to link to you. Do things naturally and your site will grow naturally.
Learn about the importance of keywords. My SEO articles will help you with this. Keywords play a crucial role in bringing the right type of traffic to your site but you should never spend half an hour in front of a computer trying to come up with the perfect title for your article. Name your content logically and think about what search words your audience would use to find your article and you can very quickly and easily develop good keywords without spending hours and hours tweaking every little phrase and heading. See what your competitors do in regards to keywords if you are completely lost.
If you build a good website with good content, always keep in mind your important keywords and proactively work every day to earn and create new backlinks to your site you will improve your PageRank. The best sites with the highest PageRank never worry about PageRank, they simply keep churning out content that people love to link to. This is a strategy that every webmaster and Internet entrepreneur should emulate for success online.
Yaro Starak
Internet Business Coach
While saying you should ignore PR, you should also keep in mind that PR is a good indication of your own SEO and whether you are doing it right or not. (although the results may take 3-6 months to show). I have also noted that some links seem to pass PR over time (say 6 months or so) so you may not get PR passed to you until 6 months after you originally get the link
I’am working on my link popularity but i have only one website with Pagerank 5. I live in Poland, and SEO is very poor
Great Article although there is some talk about Google scrapping the Pagerank System in the near future due to the shortcomings in the time it takes for them to update the whole system, and Pageranks do not reflect the true popularity of the page , moreso Alexa appears to be a better indication of Page popularity… Just one for some thought…:-)
cheers
Patrick
i have 2 sites with PR 6. In next update google can i get pr 4 or 5 ;/ ?
I read somwhere that traffic and conversion data are the most important in pr but who knows ,they have over 100 different factors
I have lots of links but no PR. When do you guys think it will kick in?
It appears that Google are scrapping Page Rank according to this article:
http://marketingasolicitor.com/?p=66
God knows how Google rate the web sites and also I completely agree with you Yaro apart of all Google calculation that is very strange for some sites to have only few backlinks and very high PR. For instance I’ve seen sites with only 2 to 3 backlinks and PR5. What kind of calculation is this?
Nice Thanks For Interesting Information about Pagerank….. Helpful For Me….
I wonder if they will tell us what will replace the Pagerank as criterium when they actually do “replace” it.
I have lots of links but no PR. When do you guys think it will kick in?
Thanks for the helpful article! As a beginner, this information is very useful to me. So, tags, content, links have a great effect on the PR.
Well, Linkbuilding should never stop, for me this article was very useful, i thank you very much for that.
By the way, Jeremiah, double-clicking on a word is supposed to select that word. And if you don’t let go after the second click, you can drag to select the whole sentence or paragraph. It’s very handy when you copy and paste a lot.
…God knows how Google rate the web sites and also I completely agree with you Yaro apart of all Google calculation that is very strange for some sites to have only few backlinks and very high PR.
For instance I’ve seen sites with only 2 to 3 backlinks and PR5. What kind of calculation is this?…
Nice Article.As a full time developer, this information is exceedingly useful to me.
And i saw sites with only few backlinks and pr 3 and 4 but those sites were very old … and ugly
Its amazing how simply you explain complex things. Inspiring indeed. SBDC
Thanks for your great advice, Yaro. I run a science website that is slowly growing in popularity — with a page rank of 5 so far — and the insite you provided about Google is useful. I think you’re right when you say that it’s best to focus on providing great content, and the rest will take care of itself. ~ Norm
PR is important, but is not main indicator to how Google arrives at it’s serps. There are many other factors which G puts for weights into.
Thanks, this article really opened my eyes.I really did not know anything about page rank and how to get it.
I do understand what you mean, Anna
I have lots of links but no PR. When do you guys think it will kick in?
Google PageRank is not so important by now but I preffer more than less
thanks for the explanation about this Page Rank everybody is talking about.
Hi Yaro,
wonderful post, hope i have learnt the history of Page rank. Absolutely superb explanation. this is the first time that i came across that even keyword plays a vital role in Google Ranking. thanks for the great information, yaro. i am going to try it for increasing my website PR.
I think that pagerank shout be actualized once a month:) everything will be more clear.
i’ve read a lot of articles on page rank, all of which are convoluted and frustrating. yours makes the most sense. thanks.
And i saw sites with only few backlinks and pr 3 and 4 but those sites were very old … and ugly
Hi Yaro,
Very useful article , Thanks for share.
Yaro,
Good stuff here. Just trying to get my blog off the ground and am enrolled in your Blog Mastermind program. I’ve oftened wondered about Page Rank but really never took the time to investigate it. Now that I’m getting my blog started, it’s something I’ve been much more curious about.
Oddly enough, the second day after my blog went live, I was the 11th position in Google search results for my major keywords: naval, officer, and careers. But, my domain name is navalofficercareers.com, so I’m sure that helps tremendously.
Was about time that somebody explains the Pagerank in a professional way, thank you for that!
Doing SEO is getting changed from time to time and every company needs to take that into account.
great post and discussion!!!
I have just added new tool to check all Google DataCenters for PageRank
Pagerank is not everything but it is still important for websites and blogs to get higher pageranks.
the page rank is definitely important but what is shown in the toolbar is just a marketing instrument, isn’t it?
pagerank or not pagerank. i rely on good content and usability to improve the conversion rate of my website.
Algorithm of Page Rank already is discontinued
Many of the services of Google also need urgent update, is why Google prefers to buy to other companies of Internet.
That small finder that began many years ago very good, because only era of text, very fast and efficient, that antigüo AltaVista moved my, nowadays became a Giant.
But that has happened with the progress of his so promoted PageRank? By the sight it has not evolved in the same way, as much money and they have not managed to optimize it.
In summary the PageRank de Google or PR simply is a numerical value that it represents the importance that a page Web has in Internet, this value is obtained through the bonds that make other pages Web to your site. (it is a summary of the great roll of his operation) the PR has been that has not evolved as it would wish the user it, many webmasters astute position their Web in the first results search of Google and when we make a search as simple as the task of your primary son of the first results that we obtain is companies doing publicity to their products/services and nor to speak of the swindles that abound by Internet.
What happened with the quality of content? , What happened with the Google that invented an algorithm to benefit the searches from the users? Simply it turned towards the money of the publicity and grew like great company forgetting its roots.
As much it forgot its past that now cannot produce some own project, I buy to YouTube because GoogleVideos did not do competition to him.
Purchase technology of other projects Web because although it is certain that it sees future in them, same Google does not have it developed.
It must have given Google account of its own weakness that now has a Laboratory as they call to him for own projects. But and what has of their essence? To as much to arrived the weakness from the PageRank that now Google penalizes to the sites of high PR that sells links, or the case of the page of a well-known Alemana company that was penalized by unsuitable practices of positioning Web. Acting as Goliat is giving bad reputation him to Google.
To many webmasters is to them beneficial to work with Adsense, but victims of a repression feel, to the being directed by norms imposed by the greatest finder of history.
Now we asked ourselves, Who is making its work bad? Webmasters or the PageRank de Google? Although it is certain that webmasters are many bad, also are many more if they are good, that they include/understand that to give content of quality to the users it is more important that to fill to its pages Web of words that position them in the finders.
What is failing in the PageRank? As lack would claim to my grandmother… him to it to be more human, he is incredible that the heart of the finder, does not have the greater budget of investigation and development.
Hay Competition at this moment? Lamentably next as Yahoo and MSN do not approach which the user wishes and for that reason the Monopoly of Google almost is guaranteed.
Inevitably the users little by little could emigrate to another finder, as flock of doves, if this were more cash in the searches, but at the moment Google does not have competition, although personally I have seen some other finders with very interesting characteristics.
They already say: It does not have bad lasts one hundred years, nor body that resists it and in Internet the years are months…
Yaro,
this is the best article on PR I’ve read. As a beginning blogger, I was relieved to read your advice about not spending a half hour trying to look up key words (exactly what i do) but doing it naurally instead (figure out what key words people will enter to read my article and look at competitors keywords.
I read your article at a good time. I’ve been agonizing over how to build viewership. I also appreciate your suggestion to make finding backlinks a daily habit.
Regards,
randy
Sure PageRank still counts, large quantities of incoming links will still get any site a long way.
i am still learning about pr and how to advertise the more i read the more i get confused but a few things are made clear here for me and the mist is clearing a little
Mike, Yes pagerank is updated on a regular basis.
It must have given Google account of its own weakness that now has a Laboratory as they call to him for own projects.
Hi Andy – thanks for the tool link. I’m not so sure how accurate it is but it’s the first tool I’ve found that seems to be trying. I like it’s result for this blog too!
It’s becoming even more clear that having traffic come from very like niche websites should be the main focus of a link campaign. By doing so you will increase the quality of traffic. The end result will that you will also increase your search engine status.
For those who say the green bar means nothing I believe are lying. If Pagerank increases, so do the amount of webmasters willing to link to you and the amount you can charge for advertising. The end result is more incoming links, traffic, sales, and income. As of course Yaro pointed out.
Great article! Many things about Page Rank was hard to understand for me but your article makes it clear.
I have been waiting for Google to assign pagerank to one of my new sites for over six months. Thanks for the link to this pagerank tool.
Nice article with good tips about Google PageRank.
For all the readers from The Netherlands I have translated this article into the Dutch language. Just visit our website and send me an email (with a reference to this blog) to receive your free of charge copy.
This page seems to have a high Page Rank so it adds even more credibility to your advice. Thanks Yaro.