The Next Google PageRank Update
It has been quite some time since Google updated its PageRank, which is calculated using various factors but primarily based on the quantity and quality of links to your site. It looks like a PageRank update could be coming very soon, and it is certainly something many bloggers and webmasters have been anticipating.
At GetFoundNow.com, Michael Stankard theorizes that the recent changes to the Google Webmaster tools have been the reason for the hold-up:
A lot of industry people were expecting a Google update to PageRank a couple of weeks ago. I believe they are waiting to update PR until they have finished rolling out the latest Webmaster Center upgrades as well as their latest Universal Search updates.
What can you do to get ready for the PageRank update? Well, if Stankard is right, probably very little. PageRank is based on your site’s ranking and incoming links in the past.
It’s probably already been determined, and it is already reflected in search-engine results. You just won’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling (or that disturbed feeling if your number is low) of seeing the number show up in your browser’s Google toolbar.
What does it mean? Really? I love Jennifer Bowman’s attitude at Search Engine Journal: “Forgetaboutit.” This is sage advice. Sometimes we can fixate on things like backlinks and PageRank and search engine ranking for specific keywords. Sure, it’s great to study these things, track them, and work to enhance your site’s search engine optimization.
But really, if you are building a quality site, adding great content, and writing for SEO, good things will happen. Read Bowman’s tale:
When I started SEO I was working on a site that had a 0/10 PageRank. We quickly went to a 2/10 and sat there for a while. Then, the company made me delete the Google Toolbar; something about it not being ’standard’ and ‘compliant’. So, I couldn’t see our PageRank and forgot about it. Two years later at a conference someone said, “You have a PageRank 9/10. That’s unheard of.” I just smiled and said ‘I know’, then made a mad dash for the nearest computer to see for myself!
The point isn’t that our site had a PR 9/10, it’s that I paid no attention to PageRank for two years, we just made the best site we could and did massive SEO, without thinking about our PageRank score. Our rankings were awesome, traffic was up and in time our Google PageRank increased as a result. All of the time that our competition probably spent chatting about PageRank, we spent doing SEO. Imagine the hours ahead that made us.
Indeed! While it’s great to be aware of things like PageRank, it’s even better to keep that fabulous optimized content coming.
Wallace | September 25th, 2007 at 10:10 am #
Matt has already pointed out that we will not see any updates in the next couple of weeks.
Deron Sizemore | September 25th, 2007 at 11:24 am #
Everyone got my hopes up a couple weeks ago with the PageRank talk and it didn’t happen, so I’m not going to get my hopes up now. I’ll just keep doin’ what I’m doin’ and see what happens when it finally updates. It would be nice to have something other than a big fat zero down on my PageRank addon for Firefox though.
Kevin | September 25th, 2007 at 12:07 pm #
Look at the brightside, we all have more time to get incoming links to our blogs and increase our PR
Barry Cox - Scottsdale Homes | September 25th, 2007 at 3:04 pm #
I just started working on my site a few months ago and am working hard to figure out all the seo techniques out there. I have been working on backlinks, but no green love yet. Oh well, maybe I’ll make the greenbar at this update.
Marc Eilbeck | September 25th, 2007 at 4:59 pm #
very nice read. thanks
thewild1 | September 25th, 2007 at 9:48 pm #
All these seo techniques are so complicated
Marko Novak | September 26th, 2007 at 12:16 am #
Man…this thing will never be done as it seems. I want to get off this big fat zero too.
Lincoln | September 26th, 2007 at 10:47 am #
Matt has already pointed out that we will not see any updates in the next couple of weeks.
That was a couple of weeks ago.
snowgirl | September 30th, 2007 at 6:14 pm #
i started a new site whiches for seo related..
it’s 1 month old. but i might get pr4-5 from the next update, still waitting for it
http://www.httpseo.com/
Your Natural Remedies | November 14th, 2007 at 10:24 pm #
The whole thing is very confusing. They were still updating even last week!
mark | December 28th, 2007 at 10:15 am #
Excellent post, I try to focus more on content than page ranks, but it is hard to not want a high rank
mmadepot.blogspot.com
World Cup Soccer Poster | January 17th, 2008 at 10:01 pm #
The toolbar Page Rank isn’t updated fast enough to really evaluate progress. I would track all of your targeted words and watch traffic. This should give you a much better idea on how you are doing.
Off Page Solution | July 21st, 2008 at 6:31 am #
Which time will update next google update
Science Jobs Guru | July 22nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm #
Great post… The PR Mystery confused me for some time, its all a little clearer now… I think the advise is good, don’t get hung up on PR, it will come naturally in time…