This is an eternal question. Search engine optimizers
would remain glued to their computer screen to take in the first hint
of any PageRank update as and when that occurs. And when it occurs, it
will be an anxious wait till the dust settles, before scurrying off to
rework ways to claw back in ranking in case the new PR reduces.
Why so much bother? Does PageRank really matter? The
short answer is yes, PageRank does matter, but not as much as it is made
out to be. Let us talk things over.
What we know The first lesson on PageRank
will be an unquestionable reference to what Google says. According to
Google [http://www.google.com/technology/], “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.”
Elaborating, Google says 2 things. One, more the number
of incoming links to a webpage, more is the ‘number of votes’ for that
page. But then comes the second rider. Google also analyzes the page that
sends links and attempts to figure out how ‘important’ or ‘relevant’ this
page (rather its content) is vis-à-vis the page which it links to.
Broadly speaking, links between 2 travel-related webpages
make much sense in the eyes of Google than that between a travel-related
webpage and another concerning, say a watch manufacturing company.
A succinct yet clear explanation of PageRank Technology
is provided by Google here [http://www.google.com/corporate/tech.html].
The underlying idea is to provide surfers as accurate search results as
possible. The ‘life of a Google query’ though lasting barely a second,
is a mind-boggling go-between through several stages before an answer
is delivered.
Even if the mathematical equation to calculate PR is
known, what is not known is which set of its data Google uses from its
databank for finding out the PageRank of your webpage. This essentially
translates to no more than second-guessing as to what the next PR would
be. It would therefore be not wrong to say that most of the users (and
indeed the so-called SEO experts) do not know what their PageRank would
be next time.
Why the hype And herein lies a superb
marketing strategy. Ever wondered why Google thought it pertinent to let
PageRank displayed in its toolbar? On the face of it, there is no need
really, except to ‘stoke’ the fire of chasing a mirage. You see a mirage
as much as you know how PR is calculated. But try as best as you would,
you cannot decide your PR.
In the process Google gains. An enormous volume of writings
(like this one) centers around Google. Whatever Google does is news in
an instant. There is a whole lot of ‘pure’ Google-watchers out there whose
job it is to only report on the giant search company. Publicity sans cost,
not bad that.
The link companies Google’s wish notwithstanding,
there is no denying that PageRank mystery has given birth to thousands
of link-related business. Since Google is explicit in explaining at how
it looks at links, it has been easy for link-making companies to work
out their preliminary business strategy. Beyond that it’s purely rat race
of garnering share of link-hungry websites. All the time, Google remains
unfazed, except occasionally churning it topsy-turvy to keep PR mystery
alive.
What would you do You need not overly
bother about PageRank. Do not get me wrong! PageRank is very real. What
is not is your ability to alter it any sooner. There should not be any
express-effort to ‘acquire’ links. Instead, maintain focus on adding and
enriching your web content, for that and that only would create a permanence
of interest among your viewers over a period of time.
Emphasis must be on creating value to your viewers’ time,
so that there is always something new to learn, something more to know.
Along the way if you pick up a good link or two every now and then, that
will be more than welcome.
What, if you are in hurry Not everyone
is destined to wait for a hike in PageRank. Then again, even a high PR
may not instantly lead to bigger traffic. So pretty soon, you may ponder
how long it will be to profit from your web venture. Profit may be to
earn publicity (blogs for example), to make your readers giving consent
to your paid newsletter, to sell your products or services (or even selling
others’ products or services), or suchlike.
If indeed you want to cut short your long wait so as
to profit from your web venture, Google has a ready solution. It is about
targeted keyword advertising program, called Google AdWords. In sharp
contrast with PageRank, Google lets AdWords users to actually control
their accounts in order to attain more visibility. But that is another
story for another day.
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