What Google Page Rank means to bloggers
Many bloggers have been freaking out recently about the Google Page Rank update. I’ve found it incessantly annoying to be browsing site after site, and reading forum post after forum post, all about the imminent update.
“Get your links in now!” – what were you doing for three months?
If you’re serious abut blogging, then you ought to be aware of Page Rank. If you aren’t, then here is a brief summary from the horse’s mouth:
PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at considerably more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; for example, it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves “important” weigh more heavily and help to make other pages “important.” Using these and other factors, Google provides its views on pages’ relative importance.
Some bloggers go to serious lengths to try to explain how Google compiles its Page Rank, but the truth is that nobody except Google knows a whole lot about it. Page Rank is updated every three months. This usually inspires bloggers to go into overdrive with contests and link baiting and all manner of ways to improve their Page Rank. Well, what the hell have they been doing for the rest of the time? Building up your link backs is a steady, gradual process that requires work all the time. Even I know that.
Also, a lot of people are wrong in their assessments of Page Rank; it isn’t continually updated. I found this over at the Digital Point forums that set the record straight with some hard facts:
When PageRank is updated (talking visual update here, anyone who thinks they’re being intelligent by pointing out that behind the scenes PR is updated constantly should be slapped), Google bases it on a single snapshot from a specific point in time (same goes for BL updates, btw). That point in time is usually a few weeks prior to the actual export. When you are looking at PR, it is calculated by all using all of the links that Google knows about at that time. Any links you get to your site after than snapshot won’t be counted, even if you get them prior to the actual PR itself being exported.
What that means for me is that my blog will probably not receive a Page Rank in the next update. No big deal, as I will have three months to build it up. But people should remember that rushing out to buy links or have links placed on a blog just before the update is released to the public won’t help you until the next update. Even so, there’s no need to do everything at once.
Just chill and work hard all the time.
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Digg it for goodness sake! Stumble your heart out!
4 Responses to “What Google Page Rank means to bloggers”
“Also, a lot of people are wrong in their assessments of Page Rank. I found this over at the Digital Point forums http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=273251”
Do you mean that the post you are quoting is in your opinion wrong, or are you using it as justification for the “a lot of people are wrong” claim?
I’ve had a very bad day. I was trying to edit my post when my wireless cut out. I’ve had to come to an internet cafe to finish this and put the links in. I was using the DP post to show some hard facts; I wasn’t saying the post was incorrect. Apologies for the confusion.
Thanks for clarifying!
I know your blog is new and just like everyone else you’re trying to build it up. Judging by most of your posts, you seem to be more knowledgeable than most newbies.
Ok, dude, I’d like to pass on my personal experience of how my blog The NextPost got PR4 all within about 3 months after launch. To be honest, I didn’t expect that and till today I still don’t have a clue how I got it.
The only efforts was do aboutthree postings on average for about three months. I joined some directories and MyBlogLog. Got friendly with a lot of MBL bloggers, post comments, put some of them on my Blogroll, etc. I guess that was about all I did.
I didn’t have anyone to do review on my blog or joined any link trains and memes.
Well, I just wrote posts after posts. When the Google Dance started in May, I was really surprised to find The NextPost jumped from PRO to PR4. Maybe I got a guardian angel looking after my blog. I don’t know but that’s the truth. You can check it out.