The importance of PageRank
PageRank Explained
Google PageRank is a major part of the Google algorithm, but it is not the be-all and end-all of achieving good rankings for your key search terms, as some SEO experts would have you believe.
By all accounts, the Google toolbar PageRank is not the most accurate piece of kit, as regards revealing the actual PageRank of a page, as it is only 100% accurate for one day, every three months or so; straight after the toolbar pagerank update, but it’s the best that we have available to us.
It is constantly being suggested that it is just a random figure and not to take notice of it, but in my experience, this is rubbish. If a page appears on the Google toolbar as a PR8, I’d be fairly confident that it is somewhere between a PR8 and a PR8.99 and if someone offers you a link from such a page - rip their arm off! I’m also fairly sure that if any of the experts that claim that toolbar PR bears no resemblance to the actual PageRank, were to be offered the same incoming link, they wouldn’t hesitate to accept it either!
To understand more about Google PageRank, how it works and how it can incoming links can affect your rankings, read What is Google PageRank? If you would like to know more about the value of different PR links, read Compare PageRank Values
There are many articles on the web that go into the mathematics of the PageRank calculation, but the average webmaster doesn’t need to try and understand the nuts and bolts of the algorithm, the above articles will let you know all you need to know on the subject.
(this article was reprinted from June 2005, as I am constantly being asked about PageRank and PageRank values and few people go back that far to read blog articles.)
2 Responses to “The importance of PageRank”
September 30th, 2006 at 10:25 am
PR is not exact, but as a webmaster, you should try to increase your PR via quality content on your site to increase your search engine rankings. 90% of the time, higher PR = higher traffic.
September 30th, 2006 at 10:33 am
Thanks for your comment Joker, but although I agree that quality content can help increase your search engine visibility, content has no affect on PageRank. The only thing that affects your PageRank are links form other sites.
Google sees all links as votes for your site and the better quality the link, the higher value that will be put on the vote.