Google’s PageRank Update Now Taking Hold
Give Me Some Google Luvin’
Just Don’t Rely Upon Your Toolbar…Yet
I’ve been waiting patiently as the latest Google PageRank update spreads across the search engine’s datacenters before discussing these changes with my clients. As with every update, signs of an update in progress are usually evident a few weeks prior to the change showing up on your Google PageRank toolbar. So, if you have been relying upon the toolbar to tell you when your pages have changed, then don’t. At least for about one more week.
Digital Point Goes Wild — No Surprise There
I first learned about the current update being in progress on Friday, April 20th on a popular forum. Digital Point, the SEO/webmaster forum, has been combining threads covering this issue to a solitary thread that began back in January 2007. 80,000 plus page views later and that discussion has shifted to the most recent update.
Visit Dig Pagerank/Use A Back Link Checker
A helpful site to learn how your pages are doing is Dig Pagerank. There, you will find that they track all of Google’s datacenters — so by plugging in your URL, you will see how things are unfolding. Try checking different datacenters to see how your numbers are coming out; some will have your old PR, some your new one, while most of the rest will show both at least until everything settles down. In addition, if you use a backlink checker that features PageRank, you will probably see those linked pages changed too.
Okay, I See Two Numbers…Huh?!
One note: If you see two numbers and are wondering what your page rank will likely be, the new number featured is what you should end up with when all is said and done. Again, you’ll have to wait several more days before everything takes effect, so there could be a few surprises left. This has already happened to me as my new JetEmployment site was originally showing zeros and twos but the datacenters are now showing zeros and fours. If the new numbers stick, then I will be happy — at least about one site.
Thanks for the post about Dig Pagerank. I think that is a great source to find out what is going on. It is funny how many people go crazy over pagerank! It is so important, but none the less it is an addiction.
You are right about that Cade. Maybe we should form a “help group” for the addicted!
Update: Late Monday afternoon my Google toolbar began to reflect the updated rankings.
I have been thinking about sending you a note about this for a long time, and I am sorry to bother you, but all this stuff makes sense to you. I just have a couple questions. When Google PageRank was updated, my PageRank bar went from completely white and empty (no rank at all), to where I still have the bar, but it is filled in–there isn’t even white space. Why would that be? My ranking went from none to even less than none! LOL.
And it seems like so many blogs have at least a little pagerank, how can I get some rankings? What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for your help, Matt!
Hi Lisa,
Ugh! You want to get at least some PageRank for your site, but a grey bar was once thought to have meant that a site was banned!
However, I don’t believe that this is true as I have learned otherwise through my research that it simply means your blog isn’t being indexed by Google:
Google Grey PageRank Toolbar Returns.
What is odd is that when I check your site’s back links, you have a lot of 3s and 4s showing up. Your first link, incidentally, that has been recorded is for this blog which is currently at PR4. Most of your 828 links appear to be aged, meaning that they were in place well before the latest update. Visit this site to check it out for yourself.
I am not going to tell you to move off of Blogger as that doesn’t appear to be the reason you are getting the grey bar. However, I will encourage you to continue leaving comments on various blogs and not being shy to include a backlink for some link love. The following is one way you could do all of that:
Lisa Vella
15 Great Reasons To Read More!
By taking this step you’ll get links directly to various blog entries, not just to the main blog URL.
Your blog has been around since 2005; very strange that PageRank hasn’t been achieved. If I think of some additional ideas, I’ll send you a private message.
Regards,
MattK
Very helpful as usual, Matt. Gosh, I’d be happy to have my plain white bar back! LOL!
Exactly what do the 3’s and 4’s mean though?
Thanks for all your help (and the backlink!), and don’t hesitate to send an email if you’d rather converse that way.
Those 3s and 4s are the PageRank Google assigns to the page linking to you. When someone with PageRank links to your site, it is supposed to impart some of that ranking to you. So, my thinking is that your blog should be PR3 or PR4 which is about the middle of the pack for all sites online.
PR0 is the lowest PageRank and PR10 is reserved for a handful of sites including Google and some companies who have a ton of traffic.
I see. Well, I just joined the “do follow” movement, thinking maybe that has something to do with it. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while anyway.
You know, I guess it really doesn’t matter a whole lot. If I have a few faithful followers who glean something useful or inspiring from my site that’s good enough for right now.
Take care! Hope I wasn’t too much of a pest!
Lisa,
The “do follow/no follow/I follow” movement can be helpful. You’ll see more traffic and you’ll connect with others. You’ll still have your faithful followers, but you’ll gain additional exposure for your blog.
BTW, I tried several times this morning to visit your website via the link on your sidebar and I keep getting “page timed out” messages. Is your site down?
Regards,
MattK
Matt,
Thanks for the heads up on my website link, but it actually works when I click on it. I wonder why it would work for me and not for you…and how many potential jobs I may have lost.
The address is http://www.onlinefreelancewriter.com if you are interested in checking it out. Of course, feedback is always welcome.
Regarding “do follow” I could be wrong, but it seems like I am already getting more traffic. Yesterday, I had three times the traffic and already today I’ve had twice what I usually get. Of course, I think my Technorati Train post has something to do with that, as well.
Best wishes,
Lisa
It is working now for me, Lisa. One suggestion: exchange links for that site too. The only link I found was to your Blogspot blog.
Yes, I’m sure that would boost traffic for me considerably. I’ve always been hesitant to ask people to exchange links with me because I would never want to make it appear as though I am trying to take other people’s work away. Of course, I’m sure those that are more established have to turn some work away anyway, and it is a reciprocal thing. I need to be more aggressive, I suppose.
Hello again, Matt!
I have another question for you regarding my page rank with Google. About three months ago, I did some research on how to increase traffic to my blog. One of the suggestions was to put your headings in html to increase size, and therefore visibility. So I did. Every title I make goes in the html format. Do you suppose that might be a no-no with Google and they banned my blog?
Thanks for letting me be a pest again, I’m just trying to figure this thing out!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
If you mean using H1, H2, and H3 title tags then you are okay. If you mean simply increasing the size of the font, then you are not receiving the benefit of using your title tags wisely.
Since you use Blogger, the title tag is automatically generated when you add in your title. However, you can use h2, h3 and so on tags which Google also likes.
The following article may be of help to you too, “Best Practices For Title Tags.”
I hope this helps!
Regards,
MattK
Yes, it does! Thanks, Matt!