What Is Page Rank?
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What Is Page Rank?
We keep hearing about PageRank so much and if you are new to online marketing, then you might want to know what exactly PageRank is and why it is important for your website. Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about PageRank.
Definition of PageRank
PageRank refers to the patented computer program used by Google for measuring the importance of your website and to rank the websites in the search results. PageRank is one of the 200 parameters used by Google for deciding which pages are listed in the search results and in what order they are listed.
Where Did It All Start?
The history of PageRank goes back to 1976 and to two scientists that worked on Scientometrics namely Gabriel Pinski and Francis Narin. These scientists suggested that it might be possible to rank scientific journals using link analysis. However, what we understand and use as PageRank, a Google patented concept was developed in 1996 by two people in Stanford University namely Larry Page and Sergey Brin. PageRank has been named after Larry Page one of the developers of this concept. However, it was not until 1998, the first paper on the prototype of Google and its PageRank theory was not published, which was followed by the founding of Google Inc.
How Does PageRank Algorithm Work?
There are millions of pages for any given search and PageRank ranks web pages in terms of their importance. For example, there may be millions of pages talking about SEO Google’s PageRank tries to attribute some value to each page in ascending order in terms of its importance for the given search. How exactly does PageRank measures the importance of a website page? This algorithm uses the link popularity of the website as one of the most important factors. As per this algorithm if number of web pages are referring about a particular page and linking to them then it indicates that the page that is being referred to or linked to has something important to offer for the rest of the internet community and hence it is important in the given segment. So every such referral or link is considered a vote for the landing page. Not all votes have equal value. The value and the depth of each vote depend on the linking site and linking page. If the linking domain itself is an important domain then the value of the vote cast by such a domain is considered highly valuable. The total value of the votes each page has at any given point constitutes its PageRank, which is measured in the scale of 0 to 10.
Should I Be Worried About My Website’s PageRank?
Yes, PageRank is very important for your website because it is one of the ranking factors in Google. If all the other factors are equal between competing websites, then PageRank will be the deciding factor in ranking the competing websites. You should therefore make sure that your website enjoys good PageRank in Google. Higher the PageRank the better it is for your website.
Is There Some Way I Can Know Your Google PageRank?
You can use Google PageRank using Google ToolBar. You can download your Google toolbar at http://www.google.com/toolbar/. If you are using Google Chrome or latest version of other browsers then you may not be able to install toolbar for your browsers. You will have to go for extensions that will help you view the PageRank of the pages that you are visiting. Alternatively, you can use one of the many free PageRank checker tools available online and submit your website URL to see your PageRank.
How To Increase My PageRank?
If you want to increase your website’s PageRank, you need to first work on improving your website’s link popularity. Remember, the PageRank concept is based on the link popularity, so the only way you are going to increase your PageRank is by acquiring good quality links from reputed websites and authority sites. You should also make sure to get your website listed in DMOZ. Keep the pages within your website interlinked but do not go overboard with internal linking. Also, make sure that you are building your links only using legitimate link building strategies. Google needs you to use natural link building strategies.
Concluding Remarks
You should have now got a fair idea about PageRank and the reason why Google is still holding on to this concept to rank websites. Despite what contradicting views you might come across PageRank is important even today. You should therefore make sure to put in adequate efforts to boost your PageRank. All the best with your efforts!
