PageRank Update 2006
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I would accuse Google of being late regarding their PageRank update because it was “due” about January based on historical data showing they update around once per quarter. Since Google makes no promises and they do what they want to, when they want to, it really doesn’t matter too much, but I can tell you as you may have read around the web today that the latest PageRank update is occurring as I type this. I believe there was a backlink dance about a month or so ago so it’s likely this PageRank update ensures the little green bar reflects the current ranking data.
If you are confused with these terms you might want to take a quick five minute crash course by reading -
I’m pretty happy because Entrepreneur’s Journey jumped to a PR6. My friend Will Swayne will no doubt will be happy because his site Marketing Results jumped to a PR5. As I commented at ProBlogger, which jumped to a PR7 (congrats Darren!), although a gain in PageRank is worth celebrating when it happens it’s not something to be depressed about if yours fell or didn’t budge. In the grand scheme of things the little green bar means very little unless you are in the business of selling links.
One observation I would like to make though – I’ve noticed quite consistently that a website’s PageRank is often one less than the highest PageRank of it’s backlinks. Sometimes it takes more than one high backlink but there seems to enough evidence to show that the backlinks from authority sites with high PageRank really count the most, at least in terms of the green bar.
As an example, this blog is a PR6 now possibly because two prominent PR7 sites, Problogger.net and StevePavlina.com link to it. This site in turn links to some other sites, such as Marketing Results which is now a PR5 (one less than Entrepreneur’s Journey). So the question is which sites are originally giving the PageRank? Do Steve and Darren earn their PR7s because PR8s link to their sites? Consequently when one site goes up all the sites under it also rise in PageRank?
Of course I realize the answer to this is not clear cut. As I’ve lamented in the past when you use a scaling system with only ten points it’s hardly comprehensive. You just can’t account for the intricacies of the Google algorithms with a ten point scale. Of course it’s always fun to speculate since people do love to compare things. Google probably introduced the green bar just for amusement.
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Well, looks like despite slowing down my post rate I’ve landed a PR5. Can’t be unhappy with that.
S.
Hmm, maybe I have jumped to conclusions. The pagerank hasn’t settled down as yet I believe since all three of my computers are showing different numbers now.
I thought this was interesting – although maybe everyone else knew about this but me, but when I check the pagerank of my site using http://iateapie.net (no wwww) it shows up as pagerank 5. When I add the www – it’s pagerank 6.
My PageRank toolbar always shows the old data (I’m talking about not the results fromt he last few months – the OLD stuff – back when my site was PR3) so that’s annoying but i dont appear to have moved from a 4.
Is this update you’re referring to “Big Daddy” do you know Yaro?
Also Tanya, page rank is different for different hostnames and it treats any domain or sub domain differently (including www etc). So http://www.bla.com is different from othersite.bla.com is different from thewhitehouse.com
I agree with your analysis about PR ranking being one less than the highest pagerank of its backlinks (although that may not be the case if that high backlink also has 100 other links on its page… not sure either way).
However some internal pages can match their index page’s PR -and even surpass it- if the internal page gets lots of external links specifically to it, OR with careful manipulation of internal linking.
But, as you mention:
“In the grand scheme of things the little green bar means very little unless you are in the business of selling links.”
And even then, sex.com recently sold for $12 million and its PR is currently 3 and when I looked at it on the day it sold, I’m *sure* it was zero – but is ‘under new management’ now and got lots of links due to that sale.
-Steve
I was wondering when such updates occured. Too bad my site just launched so I don’t have a pagerank yet. Thanks for the info however.
I think your article is interesting. But can anyone tell me when the next pagerank update is due?
Thanks
Hi Jerry – it’s hard to know when the next visual pagerank will occur. It’s becoming quite random. It used to be around every quarter but the last few have taken a long time to settle.
Try not to worry about it and just work on making your site better.
Surely that cant be the case, so if I had just one high ranking site e.g. PR9, I could just churn out sites all day, link to them and then each would eventually receive a PR8??
Good article. I just started my site on may 1 and have been trying every techinque to promote it. Basically using sitemaps, submitting to search engines, meta tag analysis, link exchange, adding tons of content, blogs, blog feeds, robots.txt file etc. I hope that the initial update will have me at page rank 3 or above but we shall see. Anyway good article.
I think your article is interesting. But can anyone tell me when the next pagerank update is due?
Thanks.
Also note that for example:
http://www.relytec.com
is different (in pagerank term) than
http://relytec.com
(without the www.)
Sometimes it takes more than one high backlink. The backlinks from authority sites with high PageRank really count the most.
Enjoyed the post, Yaro.
SEO is important and the right thing to do, period.
But page rank is NOT what puts the food on my table. TRAFFIC to my sites is what does that. And unfortunately, even some of my PR6, PR7 and even higher sites don’t profit much at all because they don’t get much traffic. Yet, many of my PR1, 2s and 3s are rolling in traffic and dough.
For this reason, I don’t rely on Google page rank too much as a guarantee of income and success. I’d rather have a LOW Alexa rank, personally. Because this means that TRAFFIC is coming to my site. Yahoo and MSN traffic and TRAFFIC from ppc is what pays my mortgage.
Great post, I struggle witht he whole concept. I have about six sites and run an estate planning business. Will writting and inheritance tax planning, I can’t even work out if the internet is a good way to spend marketing £ in this field, but I still eagley await the PR, even if I dont get a hugh number of hits it makes me feel i have done a good job.
http://gb-legal.com