Five FAQ About Google PageRank

This is another article of interest to follow-up Google PageRank

by Patrick Carlow

1. What is PageRank and why should I care about it?

PageRank is a formula that assigns a value to every page in the Google index. Google displays search results based on an algorithm which includes the value of PageRank. So the higher your site's PageRank, the more likely it is that you will receive a top listing on the search result page when someone types in the keywords for your site.

2. How can I view the PageRank of my own or other websites?

It's very simple to see anyone's PageRank. Just download and install the Google toolbar. It's a very quick and easy install. Just be sure to choose the Advanced option during the install so the PageRank of each site you visit will be displayed on the toolbar.

3. How is PageRank calculated?

I've seen a formula for PageRank posted on Internet websites and forums but have failed to see anyone give a satisfactory explanation of the formula. The formula appears so complex you would probably have to be a mathematician to even have a chance to decipher it anyway. It looks something like this:

PR(A) = (1-d) + d(PR(t1)/C(t1) + ... + PR(tn)/C(tn))

I will attempt to explain it for you in plain English. Basically it works like this. The more links that point to your website the higher your PageRank will be. The higher the PageRank of the referring page that has your link on it, the more PageRank you receive from Google. For every outgoing link that a page has, the value of those links drop. So for example, a link from a page with a PageRank of 4, and only 3 other links, is worth more than a page with a PageRank of 5 and 100 links. It is also believed that Google assigns more value to a link that comes from a site with similar content. So as you can see, there are many variables when calculating PageRank.

4. How do I increase my PageRank?

Again, PageRank can be increased by the number of incoming links to your website from other sites on the Internet. In addition, it requires anywhere from five to seven times more to get from one level of PageRank to the next.

So for example, (and this is not a true formula) if 100 PageRank 3 sites with a link to your page give you a PageRank of 4, then it would take around 500 more PageRank 3 sites to link to you before you became PageRank 5. However if you had 1 link from a PageRank 8 site, that might be enough to give a higher PageRank all by its self. It's really all relative and trying to figure it out will simply drive you mad, so don't bother. :) The best thing you can do is obtain as many quality incoming links from other sites with similar content as you possibly can.

Another important factor is the number of pages on your site. The more pages on your site, the higher potential you have to gain in PageRank. More pages doesn't mean you will get a higher PageRank only that you won't hit a ceiling. Apparently Google has a cut off point somewhere on the highest PageRank it will give to sites with a low number of pages.

5. When will my PageRank be updated or change?

According to the Google website, they update the index about once a month. However if you spend any amount of time reading search engine forums, you will find that results vary for every webmaster. PageRank may not update or may change drastically for a long period of time which is often times unexplainable. Usually as long as you follow good web site optimization techniques and maintain enough quality incoming links, the index will eventually assign your website PageRank and adjust any changes which may have been made in error.

About the Author:
Patrick Carlow
Most Relevant Links Directory
http://www.most-relevant-links.com/

The Big Google PageRank Slap - Perception Is Everything

Follow up the posting of Google pagerank on
yesterday, I found an article related on
Google pagerank from SiteProNews


By Titus Hoskins,

Recently Google did a major PageRank update where a lot of sites
were downgraded. Many experts believe this PageRank update was
Google's response to link selling - sites which sell links lost
points in their PageRank.

Google measures all web pages on a scale of importance from
0 to 10, which is shown in a small green pixel bar on browsers
carrying the Google Toolbar. PageRank is "supposedly" measured
by the number of backlinks to your site.

Online democracy in action, a link is a vote for your site.
The more votes you have the higher your site is ranked.
At least that's how it was supposed to work until a lot
of high PR sites started selling links and put a monkey
wrench into the whole system.

The latest update may be a smart move on Google's part to
curtail this practice; who's going to buy a link from a PR2 or
even a PR4 site? Besides this could be more than a warning
that your site will go down even further if you continue to sell
links.

Now this is more of a cosmetic change in PageRank than a real
change in your true rankings in Google. Just because your PR
goes down doesn't mean your keyword rankings or traffic from
Google also goes down.

I saw some of my sites go up, some stayed the same, but
my major site took a big hit - falling from PR6 to PR4.
This was more of a devastating blow than I expected mainly
for psychological reasons than actual consequences.
After years of building the best content you can muster
and constantly getting quality one-way links, to see that
PageRank drop was very disappointing and hits to the core
of your online work.

I have been around for a while so I have experienced many
Google Updates - anyone remember the Florida Update?
I also keep my ears peeled to discussions of the latest
updates in Webmasterworld and Stompernet, and I even
read Matt Cutts when I get real nervous... so I knew not
to panic just because of the sudden drop in PageRank.

I also knew what most of the SEO experts were saying
was true because my major keywords stayed the same
and my Google traffic actually went up. But that's little
comfort when you're talking about Google;
you immediately go into overdrive and try to figure out
where you went wrong. What caused the drop - because
whether PageRank is meaningless or not, you're still
going in the wrong direction.

I saw many of my competitors drop too, but many stayed
the same and a few even increased in PageRank. What are
they doing right;what am I doing wrong? I don't sell links
but does Google think I am selling links was my main concern?
I even moved one external link from my main page to another
part of my site, just in case Google is mistaking that
as a paid link.

Welcome To Webmaster's Paranoid Hell!

For SEO reasons I have very few external links on my main
page. Can't see why Google downgraded my main site.
I have been at PR6 for years.

Herein lies my main beef - with Google you never really
know where you stand; you are constantly walking on
eggshells. No matter how good your content or your site
is - one misstep and you could be in the doghouse.
All your hard work can be taken away in a heartbeat.

It wouldn't matter so much if it was one of the other
two major search engines downgrading your site but
this is Google.Free organic traffic from Google is vital
to any online site or business. I would take traffic from
Google over any other source of traffic on the web,
except for traffic coming from my articles on other sites,
and even that traffic probably originated from a search
in Google.

Google and Google PageRank have always been important
to me -that's one of the reasons a sudden large drop causes
so much concern. There's another important reason Google
PageRank is important to me.

Most SEO experts mistakenly believe PageRank is
meaningless because Google is not giving us the true
ranking of any site or revealing all the backlinks, which
is supposedly one of the major factors in how Google
ranks sites. While this fact is obviously true, it has
caused many to jump to another conclusion.

Because Google is not giving us the real ranking, many
webmasters have dismissed PageRank as a vital element
in their sites. Don't make the same mistake.

Google PageRank is extremely important if you're doing
business on the web. The higher PR you have, the better.
But it has nothing to do with keyword rankings or first
page SERPs.

What many SEO experts fail to realize (not really their
business) is the whole "perceived" value of PageRank.
Google, hate it or love it, has become the most respected
company on the web in the eyes of the majority of the web's
users. It carries enormous weight and prestige. The
"perceived" value of a high PR7 or PR8 is extremely valuable.

We are not talking about link selling; we are talking about how
a perspective business partner or customer will treat your site
or business.

Say you have two identical sites you want to do business
with online and you discover one is a Google PR2 site and
the other is a Google PR8 site - which one would you
choose to do business with? Honestly?

From first-hand experience, I know any online company
or marketer will get more business offers and be offered
more partnerships/joint ventures if you have a high Google
PR site than a low one. It will make a difference to your
bottom line.

PageRank is important. PageRank has meaning. Even if it
has little bearing on your SERPs rankings or Google traffic,
PageRank can greatly influence the success of your online
site or venture. Don't ignore or dismiss PageRank as a
meaningless relic that didn't quite work out as Google had
planned for it in the first place.

High PageRank Will Always Be Valuable
The day Google gives its own site a PageRank of PR1 or
PR2 instead of the current PR10 - that's the day you
can dismiss PageRank as truly meaningless.

==============================

The author is a full-time online marketer. For the latest
web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools
(http://www.bizwaremagic.com) or why not try these:
Free Marketing Courses (http://www.marketingtoolguide.
com/ free_marketing_tools.htm). Copyright © 2007
Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed
if this resource box stays attached.

==============================

Surprise, surprise, my blogs got good PR!

Me and two of my friends were at Petronas Kafe Corner, which we used to meet and chit chat. But the place is different now and it has no more internet access for the customers. As bloggers,the PageRank issue became a major topic of our discussion .

It seems like an angry headmaster with a big cane is on a rampage because some naughty students
are up to some no good pranks. And it's got something to do with paid links.

Google has openly forewarned that there might be a crackdown on paid links like Text Link Ads and PayPerPost, so it has come true.

More reports are coming in about blogs getting the PR chop. PR6 blogs are demoted to PR5. PR4 down to PR3 and so on.

The high-profile site The Stanford Daily took a big dive from PR9 to PR7 and to PR5. Some well-known blogs that also got hit are JohnChow.com,
Entrepreneur's Journey and Niche Marketing Blog.

Every webmaster wants to see good PageRank because a high PR does bring along many advantages, including raising your position in the SERPs.

For the internet newbiz like me, frankly I am not so concerned about the Google pagerank. But it was very encouraging being a blogger to have a good Google pagerank. At least someones recognise you. To my surprise, my Golden Opportunitie$ blog was suddenly upgraded from PR0 to PR4.

My VisualLens ( WordPress photography blog ) site also surprised me by attaining a PR3. I only started this blog just less than three and a half months ago and now it has a total of 6160 visitors as I write this post.

My other blog, OnlineHomeBiz, with few postings has PR1.