4/8/2009
How Important Is Google PageRank?
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An exclusive interview with SEO expert George Ajazi, on an important but frequently misunderstood topic in the word of search engine optimization.
What is Google PageRank™?
PageRank™ is Google’s way of measuring the relevant weight or importance of a web page against the scale of the web. It is based on a 0 to 10 scale with each number exponentially more difficult to attain than the previous. So moving from a PageRank (PR) of 2 to a PR3 is much easier than moving from a PR5 to a PR6.
A lot has been written lately about PageRank becoming less important. Is that the case, and if so, why?
Yes, PR is much less important now than it once was. But Google has been devaluing it for quite some time, not just of late. One must keep in mind that there are many variables that go into the Google ranking algorithm, PageRank is only one of those variables. Google is constantly tweaking the importance of each variable to validate their search results pages for accuracy. PageRank is something that was “gamed” by black hat seo practitioners for many years so Google had to start devaluing it in order to put the balance of relevance back in check. It was definitely a good move on the part of Google.
A good way to think of why this is good… You have a web page that is extremely relevant for a given keyword, has a few solid inbound links, and has a PR3. Someone else has a web page that is less relevant for the same keyword, has a lot more links because it’s been live for longer (or the site owner used nefarious tactics to get more inbound links), and this page has a PR5. Who should rightfully rank higher? The page that is more relevant? Or the page that has higher PR? Realize that Google’s singular purpose (outside of ad revenues…) in their search engine is to return “relevant” search results to end-users.
How important should PageRank be to a midsize business? A large business?
Not really important per se. As long as the site owner, no matter what size business, follows SEO best practices and works on adding content and inbound links (hopefully optimized inbound links) then they should be just fine. PR or not.
What are the practical consequences of having PageRank lowered/raised by Google?
Google is updating/tweaking site PR on a daily basis, but they only update the servers that show the end-users a PR number on a quarterly (or longer) basis. So if your Google toolbar says a page is PR4 today, it might actually be a 3 or a 5 since the toolbar value may be out of date by up to 3 months or more. But to your question, the practical implications might only be that you need to continue to work on optimizing your site. If your site’s homepage was a PR4 and now is a PR3, your site has lost weight in the scheme of the web, but the web is always changing, growing, expanding. So this doesn’t mean you are less relevant, just that your site is not as big as it once was. The way to increase your PR (if that is indeed important to you) is to continually build out relevant content landing pages and work on expanding your link universe.
What are the 2 or 3 most important things you can do to improve PageRank?
Add more relevant, related content pages. Build more keyword optimized inbound links. Become a black hat seo (just kidding).
What are the 2 or 3 biggest things you can do to hurt PageRank?
Don’t optimize your content. Don’t do link building. Start selling links on your site.
Thank you, George!
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25 Responses to How Important Is Google PageRank?
When PR came out it was the thing, then the marketers abused it and it supposedly became yesterday’s news. I say supposedly because we still look at it, even when we all say we don’t. I have that little widget in the lower right hand corner of Firefox, and I look all the time, even if for curiosity. We like to be able to measure things, even if we know it isn’t an accurate measurement. I do the same thing with Alexa; I’m glad a blog I let go dormant is getting back up into the 180k range and I long for the days when I had a 30k range blog. I knew it didn’t mean much, and still doesn’t, but I like to feel like I can measure how things are going.
Terry Heaths last blog post..SEO Benefits of Adding a Blog
Hi Terry, You know what? I do the same things you just described. More than anything, these quick and incomplete measurements are a starting point.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..How Important Is Google PageRank?
Interesting interview Brad. I like how Mr. Ajazi’s focus (and yours) is on tweaking great content so it shows up and works harder, rather than discovering ways to game the system. I think this approach benefits us all because it encourages better content overall.
Fred H Schlegels last blog post..Cardboard Creativity… Making Do While Making Great
Fred, This is a good observation. I definitely believe good SEO practices and good business practices are completely aligned. The opposite is true as well. When you try to game the system, you wind up in hot water with human readers and the search engines. Way too risky for me.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..How Important Is Google PageRank?
If it were not manipulated, then the Page Rank system, as I understand it, represents a fair and effective way for Google to rank its search results.
Why must those who try to cheat the system always ruin it for everybody else?
Andrews last blog post..What I learned from almost being mugged
where there are rules, there are rule breakers…
I never worry about page rank anymore…instead, I go for becoming known as an authority site in my chosen niche. It works far better and lasts much longer.
Data points, Barbara
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coachs last blog post..Adding powerful fitness affiliate stores to your site the easy way
Hi Brad, Hi George! I have the toolbar in Firefox too and like Terry I check it out of curiosity, and then cry like a baby when looking at my own PR.
George, your article really provided helpful information and a great perspective on SEO. Too often we get hung up on the measurements rather than concentrating on the end goal – delivering valuable content to readers. The one thing we know for sure is that if readers are getting value from your content they are not going to click off because your PR is not high enough.
Karen Swims last blog post..Ebb and Flow
@Karen – “…if readers are getting value from your content they are not going to click off because your PR is not high enough” Hear, hear!
Fred H Schlegels last blog post..Cardboard Creativity… Making Do While Making Great
Hi Karen, Fred … Let’s consider the reverse … if you go to a site with high PR, does that make you want to read it?
Brad Shorrs last blog post..How Important Is Google PageRank?
@Fred, whoo hoo!
@Brad, honestly for me it doesn’t, and I never thought of that until you posed the question. I am curious to check if I am already there reading but a high PR does not entice me to read. Interesting question that makes me wonder how others view it.
Karen Swims last blog post..Ebb and Flow
@ Brad, never thought to look at Page Rank to determine if a site is worth continued reading. I’ve never considered it a valid measure for either true authority, originality or integrity although I guess that was the original hope. Anyway, life’s too short to read stuff because other folks say I should.
Fred H Schlegels last blog post..Cardboard Creativity… Making Do While Making Great
Best short article on PageRank that I’ve found yet. Thanks for the great info. I only realized there was such a thing as PageRank about two months ago. I’ve been told my homepage is a pagerank 3, but I never really understood what that means…(I still don’t for that matter.)
Anyways,
Thanks,
TAM
Brandons last blog post..Is a Pizza Franchise a Good Investment?
Hi Brandon, Thanks for stopping by – I always try to use plain English when talking about SEO stuff, and George Ajazi is one of the best translators. The technical definition of PR is extremely technical, but a PR3 is pretty good for a new site.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..How Important Is Google PageRank?
I don’t pay attention to PR much anymore as cheaters can up their scores while long-time legitimate high quality sites lose their PR (Mine used to be a 7!). I’m not saying this because of what happened to my PR, but it’s twisted how the whole thing works. I still have the PR in my browser and it helps in terms when I arrive on a new site that I’m not sure I can trust (despite knowing the site can mess with the PR). It’s just another element in providing support on a site’s credibility — but not a major one.
Meryl K. Evanss last blog post..8 Ways to Kiss up to the Media
Hi Meryl, For most of us the best SEO approach is to write quality content, follow SEO best practices, and let the PR chips fall. Over time, let’s hope the cheaters get skimmed off Google and the cream rises to the top.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Business Blog as Base of Operations for Online Marketing
I agree with your recommendations, Brad. That’s what I do — just write the best content I can without choking myself.
Meryl K. Evanss last blog post..Kids and Books: Taking the Easy Way out
AS Content is king but still need more inbound links and more social marketing more the traffic is statically coming to the website more visibility is for PR
Outbound and inbound links are very important but google only apply strong links with good pr
Its true Quality and Relevant backlinks can help to increase PAGERANK!
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Hi Brad, Google uses over 200 signals, including the PageRank algorithm to rank pages by importance. And every year, Google is known to make upwards of 500 adjustments to its algorithm to improve search quality and fight spam. The focus in recent years clearly has been on relevance.
Hi… we had a change from pagerank 0 to 2 on our project tus-hasede.blogspot.com on October 23rd. Can anybody explain why? There has been no general pagerank upodate that day.
I’ve gotten strange readings from time to time – keep checking. Sometimes there are glitches in Google’s reporting of PR.