Question

Topic: SEO/SEM

Page Ranking

Posted by Anonymous on 6/11/2010 at 10:12 PM ET 25 Points
What is a page rank? What is the basic concept of page ranking? My simple understanding of it is: Every website owners would like their sites to be the first in the search engine when a keyword is searched. Is that right? I do not know much about these things.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by excellira on 6/12/2010 at 1:17 AM Accepted
    No. PageRank (PR) does not necessarily equate to rankings.

    Let's step back and discuss what PR is. PR is a number generated by Google that provides a measure of the quantity and quality of links pointing to a given web page. Each link has a different value based upon certain criteria.

    Google utilizes two types of PR. Toolbar PR is the PR displayed in the Google Toolbar. This PR is updated infrequently (a few times per year) and lags the live PR that Google uses in their algorithm. Toolbar PR is displayed to the public. Live PR is not.

    Don't get too wrapped up in chasing PR. A lower PR site can outrank a higher PR site.
  • Posted on 6/12/2010 at 12:52 PM Accepted
    Excellira's answer is right on. We don't want to get too wrapped up in Page Rank because it's not the best indication of organic search performance.

    Is there something your attempting to accomplish that we may be able to help with... Beyond PR?
  • Posted on 6/12/2010 at 10:46 PM Author
    Excellira, thanks for the information you have given. What do you mean by live PR? How does Google generate the number?

    Zack, I am not into accomplishing something yet. I am an internet marketing dummy. I am still in the process of wanting to learn more about the terms I encounter and its uses.
  • Posted by excellira on 6/12/2010 at 10:59 PM Member
    Google doesn't display live PR to the public because it would be too easy for webmasters to obtain links to their site and see the value of those links reflected by the change in the displayed PR.

    To combat this, Google displays Toolbar PR which is a lagging indicator updated infrequently so that webmasters cannot gauge the value of the the linkage they develop.

    This of course, makes it more difficult to "game" Google.

  • Posted on 6/15/2010 at 9:17 AM Member
    I would recommend two websites for you to check out if you're looking for more info on SEO. The blogs on both of these sites are great resources:

    https://www.seobook.com/blog

    https://www.seomoz.org/blog

    You might also check out the online SEO glossary at SEOBook - https://www.seobook.com/glossary/

    Hope these help!
    Zack - Corporate Radical
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