Its getting really old for me keep seeing on the forums that pagerank doesnt matter so I am going to rant a little on why it does. First off I will define 2 different types of websites on the internet.. 1. Depends on SE for traffic 2. Depends on Advertising, Promotion, or Word of Mouth Now lets get rid of number 2 real quick. If get most of your traffic from advertising then pagerank does not matter unless you are a directory or selling links on your site. For sites that are dependant on search engine traffic though pagerank plays a big role. The fact is that %95 of webmasters base link exchanges off of page rank. If you fall in that other %5 then congrats to you, but you are a minority. To make this really simple then, the higher pagerank you have, the better quality links you are able to get, the higher you are on the SERPs. There is no way around saying that pagerank does not matter in SEO. Search Engine Optimization is to get your site ranking higher in the search engines for specific keywords. Quality incoming links help you with this goal. A higher pagerank helps getting quality incoming links. Of course pagerank is not the only factor of SEO. Theres plently of other details that go into it but I am just trying to explain the FACT that pagerank takes a part in SEO. Like it or not, that is the way it is. *Disclaimer - The number of webmasters that base link exchanges of pagerank was an estimate. The numbers may not be exact but I am pretty damn close.
95% of webmasters base link exchanges on pagerank? Well yes - but link-exchange is not going to get your site a lot higher up in the serps anyhow. 95% of 'normal' webmasters (not the ones here on DP) don't base their links on PR, they base it on factors like: useful, friendly person, well known site etc. Reality check: most webmasters AREN'T obsessing over pagerank. Most webmasters just create websites. Most webmasters would in fact do well to learn a bit about SEO - so that flash and frames-websites would go out of fashion a bit quicker.
You should look in the link exchanges and link sales forum. Cant really say that almost every thread doesnt mention pagerank and is a huge factor of the sale or exchange.
Exactly. We can even see it in the link exchange section on DP itself that all the links exchanges are based on PR. The link sales section is full of PR links for sale. Why? Because page rank does matters Update: Aaron beat me to this.
Sure - but you don't think DP is representative of 'all webmasters' do you? If you do - search google for some local webdesign companies. Look at their designs and call them up. Ask them whether they think about google ratings and stuff like that.
Not sure where you are getting at here. I dont think webdesign companies have anything to do with it. They design websites not promote them. The focus of the thread was..
Pagerank sells because it's the only data we have on how 'trusted' a website is likely to be. It's a number, a label. But it is absolutely no guarantee that your website is going to improve from having a link from their website. If people rely on link trading, so be it. I have never done it, and won't either. For getting links pr is really not as reliable as just searching google for a relevant keyword in your niche and trying to get a link (free or sale) from the top 20 or so.
My site depends on SE for traffic. So do most sites I know of and am involved with. Most of those sites do not do, I repeat, do not do link-trading. I should stop after this post, but once more: DP is NOT representative of most webmasters and websites. Most sites don't bother with getting links, traded or otherwise. That is certainly not smart of them, but it's still true. The kind of adsense webmaster that DP caters to is still not representative of all webmasters out there. Most serious sites still just expect people to come to them. Some realize they need to get links, so they ask for links or buy them. Some may trade links, but a school-website for instance is not going to trade links most of the time. If I run a business website - I do not trade random links, or even links with competitors. I would have editorial guidelines because what I link to affects my standing with my visitors. This sort of normal, rational perspective is very much missing from most DP link-trading threads.
The thread is about how pagerank effects SEO. I completely understand a schools webmaster doesnt care about pagerank. But he also doesnt care about SEO and thats what the thread is talking about. If it makes you feel better I can rephrase.. "The fact is that %95 of webmasters who optimize their sites for the search engines base link exchanges off of page rank. If you fall in that other %5 then congrats to you, but you are a minority."
I am yet to see a serious site, who doesnt bother with getting link, If a site 'JUST EXPECT' people to come to them, without doing proper SEO and getting good backlinks, I rather doubt they fall into 'serious' category... Pagerank is important, not only because people trade/buy link off a good PR page but because it refelect the outcome of your linking strategy. On the way of getting backlinks if your PR increases means your doing it in right way...
I think the psychological boost I get from watching PR change also has value Most of this website building activity is completely invisible to "civilians" such as spouses, kids, parents, friends. It's hard to spend day after day working on these invisible entities, especially in the early days when the financial rewards are likely to be small. Having the toolbar PR improve is kind of like getting a good report card at school. We all know a report card doesn't prove you learned anything, but others think it does and that's helpful.
The only people I see obsessing over pagerank are the people who are new to SEO. If you have been doing SEO for more than a couple months you would notice that getting your pagerank up does not guarantee success. That is why I keep getting questions such as "why a site is ranked higher than mine when I have a higher pagerank?" I am not saying it is not important but people get caught up in it a lot more than they should.
in fact , page rank is nothink . page is a number which is calculated with formulas . Google is showing toolbar page rank for only normal visitors. i dont believe toolbar page rank effect on serp results. As a webmaster , i focus on serp .
Okay everyone knows that toolbar pagerank is always outdated. But atleast it gives an idea where the linking site stands. Would you deny a PR 10 backlink if someone is offering you for free Imagine
Another reason PR is important is because of the "bad neighborhoods". I am much more likely to link to a related site with a PR of 6 or 7 than one with no PR. If a site has PR of 6 or 7 it probably didn't happen on accident and it is much less likely that Google will see my link and penalize me for the link.