Have you noticed the Google PR BUZZ?
I’m starting to pick up a real sense of anticipation in the blogosphere on the forthcoming Google PageRank update. For those new to the blogosphere you might wonder why this is causing such a buzz, or for some what PageRank actually is. So I’ll try to explain:
What is PageRank aka PR?
The definition on Wikipedia states that:
PageRank is a link analysis algorithm that assigns a numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents, such as the World Wide Web, with the purpose of “measuring” its relative importance within the set.
In other words, PR rates a websites importance based on the number of links it shares with other sites, both inbound and outbound. It considers each inbound link to be a vote cast on the importance of that site, where one way links score more heavily than two way links. Not only that but it also rates the importance of the inbound link based on the originating page’s value. Therefore a link from the BBC impacts more highly than a link from a recently started blog.
The result of this analysis is the PR score which ranges from 0-10 (0 = lowest, 10 = highest). As far as I can tell very few sites have achieved the pinnacle of a 10/10 PR score. I’d be keen to hear of any examples, even the mighty BBC only scores 9/10.
The easiest way to view the PR scores of the pages you view is to download and install the Google tool bar or for Firefox there are various add-ons you can install that will display the PR score, such as the Live PageRank widget. It’s worth noting that these scores are only updated about every 3-4 months whereas Google’s ‘real’ internal PR score is constantly updated.
Why is it important?
Wikipedia suggests PR is a pretty fundamental element of how websites rank in Google’s search results. The higher your PR, the higher up the organic search results you will appear. If that’s true then surely every internet marketer, webmaster, blogger or online marketer should take note and do what they can to improve the score for their sites. In addition a site with a higher PR will be visited more frequently by Google, therefore new content will be indexed more quickly.
Aside from the search results there are other benefits to a higher PR score. When you start out in blogging or Internet marketing it can be difficult to setup joint ventures, build your presence online, establish credibility etc. A higher PR score will certainly help you in all of these areas. Not only that, if you plan to sell add space on your blog, participate in ReviewMe, Payperpost and other monetizing tactics you will need a higher PR score.
Of course there is also the added sense of achievement from having your site / blog recognised by Google - the undisputed king of the internet.
What can you do to improve your PageRank?
There are lots of link building strategies you can employ to increase your PR score. Here are 10 ideas for your to get started with:
1. exchange blog rolls with carefully selected blogs,
2. participate in the Do Follow Movement,
3. join in one of the many blog carnivals,
4. post articles on ezinearticles and ensure you include a link to your site with appropriate anchor text,
5. score a guest blogging spot with a high ranking blog and include links to your site in each post,
6. link to other pages, articles or posts within your own site,
7. ensure you have good keyword rich anchor text on inbound links as far as possible,
8. write controversial content in your blog that will attract lots of comments and trackbacks i.e. link bait. Google is a good subject I understand..,
9. add content to high scoring sites, such as comments reviews on Amazon with a link to your site,
10. take part in link trains such as Carl Ocab’s
How can you check your Google PR Score?
There are various places you can check your PageRank alongside of course the toolbar mentioned earlier.
You can visit livepageranks which will review your PR score but also your Alexa rank at the same time. Here’s a screenshot of the charts for the Marketing Blagger which shows whilst my PR is still at a lowly 0, my Alexa rankings have improved considerably since I last checked.
If you want to get a prediction for what your PageRank will be at the next update you could also try the tool at iWebtools which I understand has been fairly accurate in the past. I certainly hope so, it’s putting this blog at PR4 which would be nice.
All that’s left to say is I hope you get all you want and deserve in the next Google PR update. The buzz seems to indicate it’s coming some time in mid August.
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6 Responses to “Have you noticed the Google PR BUZZ?”
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As a new blogger thanks for the great advice. I think the Google vs. Technorati rivalry will be one to watch…
Hi Daljit, you’re welcome. I agree it will be interesting to see if Technorati can take on Google. I suspect they are biting off more than they can chew and should stick to what they know best - the blogosphere.
Hey Andy, interesting to hear someone talking about PR again. It’s been a long road and with respect to SEO I think it definitely has lost value as an indication of site strength with respect to Google over the past 3 years. It still is a great, simple indication of a site’s rapport with Google and its link profile however. I think ulitmately people should not chase page rank as much as they should chase a top Google ranking for relevant kw’s, and gladly the steps you mentioned for achieving a higher PR should result also in a higher SERP position.
And watch out for that Google Toolbar - it’s just another way for Google to collect data.
Google just loves collecting data. I’ve been trying to find a statement in the UK press recently from Eric Schmidt about Google wanting to collect so much data it can predict your daily activites, but alas I couldn’t find it - even with the power of Google.
Interesting to hear your thoughts on the dwindling value of PR though. I’m hoping my efforts to increase PR will as you suggest also help my SERP, but there is a definite need to work on my keyword strategy.
It is somewhat funny how much buzz there is over a PR update. What many people don’t realize is that PR is continuously updating internally for Google. Basically the update is just what they show on the toolbar to users. There is rarely if ever any significant movement in the SERPs correlated to a PR update. But just like anybody else I always am anxious to see if PR moved at all.
It’s a shame Google doesn’t update PR more often. I’m waiting for the next update and hopefully to see my PR rise. I think for many bloggers it’s more of a measure of the quality of their work, rather than necessairly all about SERPs.