The Obsession of PageRank
Across the blogosphere I have seen many posts speaking about how to get your website a higher PageRank™. In fact in some cases it has become an obsession to get as high a PageRank as possible. So exactly what is PageRank and how important is it really?For those new to marketing their websites and learning about Google, PageRank™ (often referred to as “PR”) is a system that has been developed by the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, that demonstrates the level of importance of a particular page on your website. 
The level of importance is judged in large part by the number of links that are pointed to a particular page (looked at as “votes”). The formula that they have created to award a specific page a ranking is complicated and does come into play in the search results, but do we need to have an obsession with it?
The level of importance of a page (PageRank™) is only 1 portion of what results are returned when someone performs a search. The pages that are returned must also be relevant to the search. Google’s formula takes into account many different factors about a particular page and what sites are actually linked to a given page before it returns them as possible selections. So you could have a page that has a high PR ranking but does not show up for a given search. Confused? Hopefully not, but let’s talk about the practical items of what we can actually control.
- Content - We can control the quality of content we write. If you take the time to create well written content that humans would enjoy then you are off to a great start. Remember, we are writing for people, not search engines! If you want more help and examples on how to write your content use our complete guide to writing content for your real estate website.
- Easily Accessible - Make sure that the content you write is easily seen by Google. This can mean simple text based navigation and including a sitemap on your website. Check the Google Webmaster Blog for even more tips.
- How Often we Update our Content - Google is big on keeping your content fresh so give them what they want. Add to your website or blog regularly and watch your positions in the SERPs soar!
So, it’s ok to have a little PageRank envy but remember it’s not everything. Having a high PR won’t automatically open the flood gates of traffic and leads providing wealth beyond measure. At the end of the day you still have to have a website that converts leads and has content people are looking for. Concentrate on the basics and watch your business grow!
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June 11th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Personally, I think PR is over-rated. Some people obsess over that little green bar like it’s the definitive indicator of a “good” web site.
To that I say, “phooey!”
*Nice* place you have here, added to the feed reader!
June 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Jay,
I couldn’t agree with you more. People value PR more than the number of leads, appointments, and actual revenue from their websites. Last time I checked most real estate professionals (if any) get paid to have a higher PR.
Glad you like the blog and we are happy to have you on the feed.
–Joey
June 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Jay,
Thanks for stopping by, nice to hear your thoughts on PR as well. I always crack up that people obsess over their PR as well as it takes away from the focus on the rest of the site, after all it is “Page Rank” not “Site Rank”