Google PageRank Secrets & Tips

by 3loomi Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:15 pm

PageRank is a secret algorithm which Google defines as: "...PageRank continues to provide the basis for all of our web search tools."

Google also states: "Important,high-quality sites receive a higher PageRank, which Google rememberseach time it conducts a search. Of course, important pages mean nothingto you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRankwith sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are bothimportant and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond thenumber of times a term appears on a page and examines all aspects ofthe page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) todetermine if it's a good match for your query."

Thepurpose of this article is to document the pervasive myths, correct andclarify the definition by Google, correct the inaccurate PageRankinformation visible on many Forums, and the unwarranted obsessivenature that many folks have about PageRank. In essence, PageRank doesnot work the way you might think after reading the Google page.

Linking to other sites using PR (PageRank) as the determining factor and or any factor in your decision

This is a false assumption. Don't waste your time using the Google Toolbar. PR has nothing to dowith where your site is listed in a given search. Want some proof?Drill down to some of this sites Webmaster Directorypages which opens in a new window, extract a few keywords and search.In some cases this site is in the top 5 listings and my page is PR2.Still not convinced? Fasten your hard disk. Run a search for "freewebmaster tools" and you will see that this site is currently listed inthe top 6 and the PR for my home page is only 6.

Reciprocal linking and linking guidelines

You should link to another site because it provides quality contentcomplementary to your own, enhances and helps your visitors, propagatesyour "brand", and has the potential to provide both you and your linkpartner with targeted traffic. I've been using this criteria for anumber of months on this site with absolutely no regard to PR. The netresult is my Google traffic is up over 100% and so are my PageViews andunique visitors. Our own Barter/Trade Links Forum has provided thousands of Webmasters with link partners, which enhances both parties targeted traffic.

Their are no shortcuts or tricks to this procedure. You need to examinethe other site, reject "Link Farms", "Off-Site Link Services","TopSites", and any site who has a "links" page which does not branchfrom the sites home page. What about "bad neighborhood" sites whichhave a gray PR bar? If you take my advice and spend the time to visitthe other site, you will spot some of these "Spam" kings and rejectthem without the use of the Toolbar. If a few slip through, don'tworry. I have no evidence and neither do you that Google will ban yoursite for linking to an unrelated "Spam" site nor am I concerned becauseI spend the time to examine the site using the criteria I mentioned.

What is the value of PageRank?
Google uses PR in it's Directory listings. The default listings in a given Category is initially sorted by PR. This Directory uses data from ODP (Open Directory Project)which is also known as DMOZ. You can't determine the actual PR numberbut you can view the PR bar and ballpark the number. I consider this PRsort of limited value. Given the fact that most surfers don't drillthrough the Directory to reach your site. On this site, only about 15%of the Google referrals originate from the Directory. Does Googleupdate these sorted PR listing? The evidence is inconclusive.

Want some proof to support the claim that PR may in fact never changein the Directory? My longtime friend, Ryan Adams, of ClickQuickfame used to have a fantastic site but because of time constraints, thesite has not been updated or any page changed in over 1.5 years.ClickQuick is still listed as number 3in the Google Directory with a PR6 and as one of his link partners, Ican tell you that traffic from my old link on his home page hasexperienced a 400% reduction. Perhaps this is an isolated incidence asI have other examples where new sites move up in PR and eventuallyreach the sorted list as not all sites are sorted by PR. My point isthat a higher listing in the Google Directory because of your sites PRis still of little concern/value and you can and should improve yoursite for Google with new content, rather than obsessing over PR.

Have you ever wondered why the PR number is not available in theDirectory (even though the data is fetched) and why you mustuse the Google "Advanced Features" Toolbar, which tracks your surfinghabits to obtain the PR number? I don't read minds but this procedureis a mystery to me. Is this a marketing ploy to collect your surfinghabits to enhance the advertising sales of Google? I don't think so,since so few surfers actually use the Advanced Features Toolbar.Frankly, the small percent of folks who use this version of the Toolbarare SEO geeks and very teckie Webmasters. My own surveys of regularsurfers indicate 90% of them never use the Advanced Features Toolbarand never use a PR value as a criteria on bookmarking the site andmaking it one of their favorite stops.

PageRank conclusions
It'simportant to remember that everything Google does is secret and inconstant flux. No Webmaster (including me) or any SEO geek can tell youwith 100% certainty exactly the way PR or a SERP (Search Engine ResultsPage) work. I say this after spending over 100 hours in research tocreate this article. PageRank is but one of perhaps 100 differentfactors which Google may use to determine exactly where your listingwill appear in a given search. That's all that matters, top 10-20placement in a search. It's best to view PR as a "very raw" metrix andmost importantly, an automatic result of proper site construction,maintenance, and SE optimization.

What I cantell you with absolute certainty is to use common sense from a "userexperience" perspective and that sites should be built using threefactors in the exact order stated:

1. Appropriate Design including usability and advertising placement
2. Compelling content updated on a regular basis
3. Optimized for Search Engines and Directories

Forget PR, build your sites in this order and Google will reward you with targeted traffic.

source :

http://www.free-webmaster-tools.com/articles-google-pagerank.htm