What Is Google PageRank? Guide to the Search Algorithm and Ranking System

PageRank was the most crucial metric for SEO going back to the public launch of Google Search in 1998. Online marketers and webmasters focused their SEO strategies on generating more backlinks to increase PageRank and achieve higher search engine rankings.

Learn how to rank on the first page of Google search results. 

In the past decade, Google PageRank has gradually evolved. SEO strategies now tend to revolve around other metrics, such as domain authority and the number of referring domains.

But PageRank is not dead and still remains an essential part of SEO today.

What Is PageRank?

PageRank is an algorithm developed by Google to rank web pages for search results.

It is essentially a ranking system that weighs the value of links between sites to determine the importance of a web page.

According to Google, PageRank involves counting the number and quality of links to assess the importance of a web page.

Google assumes that important websites are likely to have more links from other websites.

PageRank was the first algorithm used by Google to rank websites. While Google now uses over 200 factors to rank websites, PageRank remains an important part of search engine optimization.

No backlinks = no rankings.

Quality and quantity matter when determining the authority of your website.

PageRank allows Google to estimate the value of a web page based on the value of the referring page.

The theory is that websites with reliable and trustworthy content are more likely to receive links from other authoritative sites.

If you link from page A to page B, page A passes some of its authority to page B.

This passing of authority is commonly referred to as “link juice”. Imagine Forbes website linking to your website, which is a highly authoritative site with a domain authority of 93/100. That passes authority to your website, which in turn, boosts your PageRank.

Build high-quality backlinks to improve PageRank

Due to the importance of PageRank, building backlinks from high-quality websites have more impact on search rankings than backlinks from low-quality websites.

Also, the quality of backlinks is more important than quantity. Building just ONE high quality backlink weighs more than building thousands of low-quality backlinks from websites with a low domain rating.

What Factors Influence Google PageRank?

The amount of value carried from one page to another through a link depends on many factors. The base PageRank is only an indicator of the importance of a page.

Google assesses a variety of on-page details to analyze the relevance of a link and how much weight the link should carry.

The primary factors that are used to determine PageRank include:

• Link location
• Anchor text
• Internal links
• Number of links
• NoFollow links
• Page age

When the algorithm was first created, the number of links was the main criteria for determining the PR score. Google needs to constantly update its algorithms to include other factors to combat black hat SEO methods.

Here is a closer look at the factors that are directly connected to PageRank.

Factor 1: Link Location

PageRank was developed around the likelihood of a user clicking on a link on any given web page. However, all links on a page were given the same value as the original PageRank algorithm.

Google released the “Reasonable Surfer” update in 2004 to better reflect the way that people browse the Internet. The location of a link on a page influences how likely a user is to click on it.

For example, users are less likely to click on links in footers or banner advertisements. The terms of service, privacy policy, and other links often found in the footer hold less value compared to the links that appear in the content of the page.

The visibility of a link and its position within a document impact PageRank. Content that appears toward the top of the page is also more likely to contain information that is relevant to the referring page.

Factor 2: Anchor Text

Search engines use anchor text to analyze the relevance of linked pages. The anchor text is the clickable section of text. It is typically underlined and highlighted in blue or purple.

Anchor text tells search engines and visitors what to expect when they click on the link. It may include a relevant keyword, a brand name, a company name, or instructions, such as “click here.”

In the early days of Google, anchor text and keywords were used to manipulate search results. Webmasters simply needed to generate hundreds of backlinks with exact matches to specific keywords to climb to the top of search engine rankings.

Google decreased its reliance on keywords but still uses anchor text to evaluate the relevance of links to both the referring page and linking page.

While you should still include relevant anchor text for internal and external links, you should avoid overusing the same keywords.

Learn about the fundamentals of SEO keyword research here.

Factor 3: Internal Links

PageRank is passed to internal and external links. You can pass value to other pages on your site through an effective internal linking structure.

Newly created pages have a PageRank of 0. Internal links from existing pages help increase the authority of the new page.

So make sure you add internal links across your website to pass link juice throughout your site.

Factor 4: Number of Links

The number of links on a page influences PageRank for the linked pages, as a web page can only pass a limited amount of weight to additional pages.

For example, if a page includes a single link to another page, the linked page receives more of a boost from the PageRank of the referring page.

However, if a page links out to three other pages, the value of the referring page is shared among the three linked pages.

Use internal linking to distribute PageRank but avoid distributing the value between too many pages. This is most commonly an issue with the homepage, as the homepage tends to include the most internal links.

Factor 5: NoFollow Links

NoFollow links are not counted by search engines or included in the PageRank of a page.

The “NoFollow” attribute was introduced in 2005 after Google partnered with other major search engines to solve the problem with spam blog comments.

In the past, leaving linked blog comments was a common method for increasing search engine rankings.

Commenters could include a link to their own sites in the comment section of a blog post, causing many blogs to fill up with pointless comments. Wouldn’t that just be too easy?

The “NoFollow” attribute tells search engines not to include the link in their search algorithms.

Factor 6: Page Age

The amount of time since a page was last updated can impact its PageRank.

An older page is less likely to contain relevant information as the author may not have had access to all the knowledge currently available.

For example, a blog post about SEO written several years ago may not contain the latest SEO techniques or up-to-date information.

Updating older pages is a common SEO practice to refresh content and keep pages relevant.

After updating a page, remember to resubmit your sitemaps to Google so that they can update the index for your site.

A Short History of Google PageRank

PageRank was developed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University in 1996. The two developed the algorithm for a research project on search engines. Brin had the idea that websites could be placed in a hierarchy based on link popularity.

The research completed by Page and Brin was published in 1998 and Google Inc. was founded soon after.

While PageRank was not the first or only algorithm to rank web pages based on link analysis, it was the most effective during the early days of the Internet.

In 2000, Google decided to publicly display the PageRank of web pages in the Google Toolbar. The toolbar included a meter to represent the PageRank.

Penguin algorithm update to control spammy backlinks

Due to the importance of PageRank for calculating search engine results pages (SERPs), webmasters soon began attempting to manipulate the ranking system.

Webmasters used link-building schemes and other black hat SEO tactics to achieve higher search rankings.

By building thousands of backlinks, a low-quality website could easily climb to the top of the SERPs.

Google eventually developed additional algorithms to complement PageRank. The Penguin update combated this manipulative link-building tactic and controlled webspam.

PageRank now calculates the value of a web page based on its relationship to authoritative sites. These are websites that have high-quality content, high domain authority, and a reliable user experience. This means a fast-loading site with good core web vitals.

Backlink Checker Tools

There are many backlink checker tools to assess the authority of a website:

• URL rank (Ahrefs)
• Page authority (MOZ)
• Trust flow (Majestic)
• SEMRush rank (SEMRush)

These link analysis metrics attempt to rank the authority and value of web pages. Using one or more of these metrics can provide a good indicator of the potential PageRank of a page.

Moz Page Authority

For example, page authority (PA) was developed by MOZ to predict how well a page will rank on search engine results pages.

It scores pages on a 100-point scale with an average score of 40 to 60, which is comparable to a PageRank of 4 to 6.

Alternatives to PageRank use many of the same criteria for evaluating the value of a link, including link location and page age.

They also tend to look at total monthly visits, organic search traffic, number of referring domains, and number of linking domains.

The total monthly visits and organic search traffic data help SEO platforms assess the popularity of a web page. Pages that receive the most visits tend to provide the most beneficial information.

Backlinks and external links also influence the credibility of a site. The most credible sites tend to receive far more backlinks compared to the number of external links to other sites.

SEO platforms may rely on social media signals to determine the authority of a page. The pages that receive the most links and mentions on social media networks have a higher likelihood of containing information that search users want.

If people are talking about a page, it is likely relevant to the topic being discussed and related searches.

How to improve your domain authority with link building

PageRank still matters today because Google still uses it. While the algorithms used to determine search engine rankings have evolved and changed over the years, PageRank remains part of the ranking process.

As PageRank relies on backlinks, link building is the most critical part of improving your PR score. However, the value of a link depends on the PR of the referring page.

In the past, you could obtain thousands of backlinks from directory sites with low PR scores and quickly climb the search rankings. Google now penalizes websites for engaging in link-building schemes.

To increase your SEO, you should focus on obtaining backlinks from credible sites. Start with backlinks from authoritative web directories, including:

• Google My Business
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Bing Places
• Yahoo
• Yelp
• Yellow Pages (YP.com)

The process for obtaining backlinks from these sites is relatively straightforward. You typically need to create an account, verify your business contact information, and update your profile.

Your PageRank also depends on natural backlinks. You obtain natural backlinks when a web page links to one of your web pages instead of paying for the link or filling out a form.

For example, a blog post may include a link to one of your web pages to give visitors access to related content. These links are typically called “editorial backlinks.”

Tip 1: Great content attracts high-quality backlinks naturally

The best way to obtain editorial backlinks is to publish high-quality content on your website. Create content that other people want to share.

13 Powerful SEO and Content Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Blog

Some of the most shareable types of content include infographics, videos, and informative blog posts. I believe backlinks will come to you naturally if your content provides significant value.

These tend to be niche relevant websites that link to you out of goodwill because your content provides value to their readers too.

Tip 2: Outreach and social media following

Unless you are already established in your industry, you may need to use outreach to get people to notice your content. Use social media and email to reach out to websites that are relevant to your business.

Following and engaging relevant brands, writers, and companies can help generate awareness.

Obtaining quality backlinks becomes easier as you gain more recognition in your field.

Continue publishing content that provides value to readers. Becoming an authority in your industry allows you to attract natural backlinks without the need for constant outreach.

Tip 3: Internal links

Along with using backlinks to improve your PR, you should pay attention to the internal linking strategy on your website.

As mentioned, internal linking allows you to pass PageRank to other pages.

Use internal links to distribute PR while using the “NoFollow” attribute to keep Google from counting every link.

Conclusion

Google PageRank was the basis for Google Search, which now processes over 70,000 searches each second. As the Internet grew, Google needed to continually update its algorithms to deliver a better user experience and more relevant results.

While Google PageRank is no longer publicly displayed, Google still uses the algorithm as one of the hundreds of factors used to rank websites.

If you want to increase your SEO, PageRank remains essential. To boost the authority of your website, focus on link-building techniques that attract backlinks from trusted sites.