What is PageRank?
Simply put, PageRank is the algorithm Google used back in the day to, as the name suggests, rank web pages. It was developed by Google’s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University.
If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: How does it work?
PageRank works by checking the quantity of quality of backlinks a particular web page has to determine how much of an authority it is on whatever topic it is talking about.
The logic behind it is simple: when people and websites share your content, it means they not only find it valuable but also believe that other people might find it valuable too. The more people and websites there are that find your content valuable, the more credible you must be as a source, which means you deserve to rank high in search.
The scoring system uses a logarithmic scale that goes from 0 to 10 where it gets significantly more challenging to go up the closer you get to 10 because the actual gap between each number becomes significantly larger the higher you go.
Question #2: What are the benefits of using the PageRank algorithm?
The biggest benefit of using the PageRank algorithm is how simple it is. There is literally only one ranking signal to worry about: the number of quality backlinks.
In contrast, the search algorithm Google uses today takes into account hundreds of ranking signals to determine how to rank a particular page or piece of content.
Question #3: What are the downsides when using it?
The biggest downside to using the PageRank algorithm is that it is extremely easy to the game due to its simplicity.
As we have seen in the previous section, it only takes into account one ranking signal: backlinks. This means people can just band together and link to each other’s content to bump up the authority of all their websites regardless of the actual quality of the content they put out—which, in turn, means that if you are not part of the game, there is a big chance you will get left behind even if you actually produce valuable content.
On the side of the user, on the other hand, this whole thing could make finding quality content significantly more challenging because the top spots in search engine results pages (SERPs) would be filled with terrible content.
Fortunately, PageRank was eventually relegated to more of a supporting role over time. Today, it is just one of the hundreds of different factors Google takes into account to determine which pages should rank.
Check this helpful page to more about the limitations of PageRank.
Question #4: What other ranking signals does Google take into account aside from PageRank?
The other ranking signals Google takes into account aside from PageRank include:
- The quality and relevance of your content – The primary goal of Google is to provide users with the most relevant, valuable content at all times, so you should always strive to provide your target audience with just that.
Keep in mind that even if you somehow manage to rank with terrible content today, you probably will not be able to retain your position for long because Google is constantly updating its search algorithm to be better at finding quality content for its users.
- The keywords you use – Of course, for your target audience to find you in search, you need to identify the keywords they use to look for products, services, and content similar to yours and then naturally incorporate them into the content you publish—which brings us to the next ranking signal:
- How you use your target keywords – Back in the day, you can just cram the keywords you are trying to rank for in your content to trick Google into thinking it is relevant to a particular search term. These days, however, doing so will get you penalized instead. So, make sure you do not go overboard with your keyword use.