What Will Happen to PageRank
Posted by jonathan at 8:43am EST on 08/17/2007
PageRank™ is part of how Google figures out what to show you in the results pages after submitting a search query. For example, when you search for “American government,” on Google, it will use PageRank as part of the formula to decide which page it’s going to show you as number one or number two, etc.
There has been a lot of chatter among the SEOs and the search industry about whether or not PageRank is here to stay or not. The idea behind PageRank has created a huge market for the search industry. Buying, selling, and marketing text links to manipulate the search results, which is based on PageRank.
There hasn’t been any actual news update on whether or not Google is even seriously considering that they might drop PageRank, but it has been the clamor among everyone lately.
I took a moment and caught up with Adam Lasnik about the issue. He didn’t have a whole lot to say, as I expected, but he did have this to say.
PageRank continues to be one of many important signals for us (and one of over 200 signals, actually!). We’re always refining how we crawl, index, and rank webpages… but I expect PageRank to be around in one form or another for the forseeable future
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It’s nice to know that Google isn’t wholly dependent on PageRank, but it’s simply one of the many factors of Google search. I do find it slightly ironic how freaked out people can get about PageRank sometimes though. But at the end of the day, I personally do not care all that much about PageRank. I care about search results. PageRank is indeed part of the search results, but it’s the public value of PageRank that people are so worried about.
People need to calm down, focus on content, and the Google search algorithm will do its job just as it has been for the past 10 9 years.
Everett
Aug 17th, 2007
“People need to calm down, focus on content, and the Google search algorithm will do its job…” Yes content is extremely important, but I know a lot of sites out there with great content and crappy rankings. There are other pieces to the puzzle and you should work with every tool in the toolbox in my opinion.
Jonathan Dingman
Aug 17th, 2007
Everett,
I see what you’re saying and I do agree. But far too often people are too focused on their PageRank when they need to be worried about writing quality content. Why? Links will come if you have quality content.
Yes, you do need ensure that you are marketing properly, but too many people spend time on saying “Oooo I have a PR5!!” or the like. I have seen time and time again that sites with quality content and lower PageRank will often rank higher in the search results than those with higher PageRank. PageRank is only part of the solution, it’s not the end-all.
Igor The Troll
Aug 28th, 2007
When Googlers talk you need to read between the lines, epecially when it is Adam Lasnik because he talks with a duplicate agenda. He says he represents Webmasters but at the same time he call, “Webmasters not Google users and if they do not like something it is taugh love.”
So I would take everything he says with a big grain of salt.
I would not be surprised if PageRank will go the way of the supplementary and link exchange, while it will still be there and used by Google algorithm it will not be displayed in the famous green bar of Google tool bar…
Jonathan Dingman
Aug 28th, 2007
Igor,
I in no way, shape, or form, believe that PageRank will always stay around as those little green pixels. I firmly believe that Google will most likely drop visible PageRank. I do believe, however, that PageRank will still be the core to how Google search functions and operates.
I never said that I believe it will always be a visible metric to the world. I did take what Adam said, in a mindset of exactly that. PageRank may exist, but probably only for Google internal uses.
Igor The Troll
Aug 28th, 2007
Jonathan, it is great to see there are more people out there who don’t just say, “Yes Google!”
I think if more of us speak out like Danny and Rand do Google will be listining to what we have to say instead of dishing it out and calling it the only food in town!
I like how Matt C. does it, he does not beat around the bush like Smiling MiniMe…
Keep up the good working in analyzing Google speak!