PageRank
PageRank (commonly called "PR") is a system that Google uses to rank web pages.
Contents |
How PageRank is determined
Google assigns each page a numerical value from 0 to 10 based on numerous factors, most of which are not publicized. What is known is that the number, quality, and relevance of links to a page are used to determine PR. All pages at a site don't necessarily have the same PR.
It typically takes weeks or even months for new pages or sites to have a PR. PR can be lost temporarily if the URL for a page or the domain for a site changes. During this time, the PR will appear as 0.
PR is assigned to the URL for the page. This can present a problem when more than one URL leads to the same page, such as with or without www.
It's believed (although Google hasn't confirmed this) that PR is based on a logarithmic scale. This theory explains why a jump from PR3 to PR4, for example, is much easier to achieve than jump from PR5 to PR6.
How to view PageRank
PR is shown for the page displayed in the Google Toolbar. Free PageRank checkers are also available.
However, the PR that's displayed for a page probably isn't the most current PR. Google updates PR every few weeks, but the updates probably don't appear for each page right away.
How Google uses PageRank
Other factors being equal, pages with a higher PR appear higher in search results. However, PR isn't the only factor in SERP. Google also analyzes page content to produce relevant results.
How webmasters use PageRank
The purpose of a website may determine the importance of PR.
Advertising and PR
Websites offering directory or other advertising services often indicate their PR in their advertising offers. A higher PR helps advertisers sell advertising spots. It can also help them find partners for reciprocal links.
SEO and PR
Having inbound links from high-PR sites may help with SERP, but as webmasters will point out, PR is not the only factor in website ranking. Pages with a lower PR but higher keyword density and better keyword placement, among other factors, may appear higher in search results. Also, a page that is optimized for a less popular keyword phrase may appear higher in search results than a page with a higher PR that only mentions the keyword phrase.
If the goal is to get traffic, PR is just one factor in reaching that goal.
External pages about PageRank
Google pages about PR
PageRank Tools
- [ http://toolbar.google.com/ ] - Google Toolbar
- [ http://livepr.raketforskning.com/firefox-extension.html ] - PageRank Firefox Extension
See also
Web Hosting Wiki article text shared under a Creative Commons License.
