What is PageRank?

PageRank (PR) is one of Google’s  key calculators of the importance of a page of the web.

Put simply, PageRank views links between pages as “votes” for page. In its first iteration this simply means the most heavily “voted” for (linked to) pages are seen as the most “important” in the Google index.

In reality,  this simple image is however played over-and-over, with each iteration taking account of the previous iterations page “importance” to give “important” pages a more heavily weighted “vote”. This, in essence, means a link to BeachyUK.com from a relatively unknown site has less impact on our PageRank than a link from Microsoft.com… seems fair enough really.

But, there’s one more thing that makes PageRank such a heavily watched area… and it’s a secret.

No, really, it is a secret. The formula behind PageRank is a constant secret by Google, and it’s often changing, preventing even the best from reversing the facts back to a formula.

So how do you get a good PageRank?

• Write consist content: Search Engine’s like a site with related keywords
• Fool nobody: If you try to fool a Search Engine, you’re very likely to be blacklisted, getting poor, or zero PageRank from Google. Don’t even think about it.
• Get lots of good, relevant Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other sites, to yours, they are the “votes” in Google’s eyes. But don’t forget about the secret formula, Google doesn’t give a lot away, but it is clear the Backlinks from sites with similar keywords counts for more, so find relevant sites, and exchange links with one another.
• Write good content: This is the best advice I can give anyone. Good content attracts visitors, some of whom will spread the word, creating backlinks to your site
• Search Engine Optimisation: Don’t forget to make sure your site is easy for a Search Engine to read, and written with them in mind, as well as your human visitors. Good basic Meta Tag use, and Search Engine Submission is essential.

Summary

In truth, I don’t believe in PageRank, that is, in trying to boost it. Google is always looking to make PageRank a quality ranking system, so your best bet is to write good content, and link to, and get links from, good (and relevant) sites.

Links

Meta Tag Analyser -http://www.submitexpress.com/analyzer/
This online tool provides excellent feedback on your website from a Search Engine perspective. Don’t be too worried about being 100% in all areas, the key is that you’re considering the Search Engine perspective. So long as you’re achieving 80%+, you should be fine.

Google Technology Overview – http://www.google.com/corporate/tech.html
The official Google statement on PageRank.