Google Update, PageRank, Backlink Information - Start Here

[jestep]

This thread was started to answer the many general questions, users have about Google and how it updates its search results, PageRank, and backlink results. This thread also answers general questions about how Google displays backlinks.

Start here before you ask any questions about PageRank updating, backlink updating, or search result updating.


How often does Google update its search results?

Google updates its search results, also known as SERP's, continuously. This means that google changes the result pages as it spiders the web and finds new links and content.


How Often Does Google Update PageRank and Backlinks?

Google updates their Backlink results and PageRank results every 3 – 6 weeks.
The update usually begins on a weekend or a holiday and lasts for 3 – 4 days. It is very common to see different results across the different datacenters during this time. Also, if there are different results across google datacenters when searching for backlink results, this means that an update is in progress.
You can check the search results across google datacenters here.
http://www.void.be/googletool.html


How often does Google dance?

Google does not dance anymore and has not danced for over a year. A google dance is a term referring to the way google used to update their SERP results, every 4 – 6 weeks. There was usually a massive change in the search results and the search results were generally unstable. Now google uses a continuously updating pattern so the results shown by google are much more stable than they once were.


Why doesn't google show all of the links to my site?

Google has always shown only a sample of the links coming into your site. These links are updated in the search results every 3 - 6 weeks. Even though google only shows a small sample, this does not mean that google doesn't count the other backlinks when displaying search results. Google updates its search result pages for standard searches continuously, and these search results take into account all links that google has found.

[lspence]

This is great info for new posters. Any chance you could make this a sticky so it will stay at the top of the forums?

[cbp]

Any chance you could make this a sticky so it will stay at the top of the forums?

Done.

Thanks jestep.

CBP

[DriWashSolutions]

Originally Posted by cbp

Done

How about the dates of the last Update? That would be helpful as a sticky as well.

[Bluesuit]

Does the backlinks update happen at the same time as the PR update? Are they one of the same?

[minstrel]

The databases are updated on a more or less continuous basis now. Periodically, there may be a more "substantial" adjustment, perhaps a change in the ranking algorithm or something else, and that tends to get called an "update". In reality, PR probably fluctuates along with any o most of the tweaking Google does but the Toolbar PR graph only gets updated when Google feels like it - often, this seems to be a few days to a week after an "update" but there is no fixed schedule.

[rlrouse]

Google usually updates PR and backlinks internally a week or two prior to the time that we see the updates on the toolbar and with the Link: command.

When your site gets an increase (or decrease) in traffic that isn't a one day anomaly, you can usually expect a toolbar PR and backlinks update within a couple of weeks.

The real update (the one that affects traffic) takes place long before it becomes apparent with the toolbar and link: command. This is why we see so many posts like "My PR and backlinks went up but my traffic didn't change".

In actuality the traffic did change, just not at the same time as the "update".

[onthink]

i admire the idea discussed above

[DJ-Rg]

how long does it take to get a page rank for a page.. most my pages usually get a 5-6 PR but i started 2 new blogs ..the first blog Rollin Thunder in June and Blogoshere Zoo in late August.. both blogs are completely different in content..

thank ya kinda..

[nykyta]

Hey, that is really good to know RlRouse. I have been getting an increasing amount of traffic from Googles. Hopefully my PR goes up some more.
Ok, now my question is the googlebot have really been crawling my website, is that also a good sign?
As of Oct 11 I have 512 hits from them. Or maybe they way the bots crawl doesn't mean anything? - Nykyta

[G00GL3R]

Does anybody know when the next Google update is?

[SoCalWebArtist]

Apparently, there are many of you who are seeing a lot of additional activity coming from Googlebots and that may be the addition of the newest Googlebots which were released over a month ago.

Some of the concern over the release of these new bots is the fact that we are about a year from the time Google did their 'Florida' update which threw a lot of my clients websites down in ranks and the concern is - are the new Googlebots a sign that Google is getting ready to do another update?

Another theory of why Googlebots would have a lot of 'extra' activity is that they may be panicking as they attempt to rebuild an index that might have been lost or corrupted.

The major concern for a lot of SEOs is that their sites may be dropped from Google altogether if this new Googlebot is to ferret out those sites using cloaked pages or keyword targeted pages with redirects built into them.

Having 'doorway' pages or 'entrance' pages targeted to pull well for keywords on specific engines has always proven to be effective for obtaining high rankings and has never before been targeted by the search engines as a violation - will that end soon?

wishing you all success,
- John

[fatcast]

A few months back, at a sales seminar, the Mkt guy was crowing about his #1 position for many key phrases used in his industry. I checked it out - a glipmse of a page choked full of keywords - then the actual page. They were #1 for weeks! Loads of real leads i heard. Then the site dissapeared off Google for a whole 2 months. Now they are back to their #5 page rank. They prob got thousands of hits/week for weeks. Now ist back to 200-300 hits/week. Was it worth it? Since they did get back to where they were.

[HollyC]

Why doesn't google show all of the links to my site?

Google has always shown only a sample of the links coming into your site. These links are updated in the search results every 3 - 6 weeks. Even though google only shows a small sample, this does not mean that google doesn't count the other backlinks when displaying search results. Google updates its search result pages for standard searches continuously, and these search results take into account all links that google has found.[/quote]

I'm glad I read this here, because I always find it puzzling/troubling that more backlinks don't show up when I know for a fact so many have been added. Is there an authoritative place where you can sort through ALL of the links that link to you, or can you recommend software?

We do really well with google at my company http://www.amberjewelry.com- I think it is a combination of a lot of factors, for one, the right name and tons of content, and I hope we're just good at what we do- but aside from the horror of last November and a daily dumping of cookies & cruise through Google, I just pretty much gave up worrying about it & try to drive business in other ways. As a small business person there's only so much I can ever get to anyway and I just found the anxiety of "what's Google going to do now?" fairly unbearable after last November.
[/url]

[katom]

I have had a pagerank of 4 or 5 for more than a year, then all at once it went to 0. I saw an article on here that indicated this means you weren't indexed, and that it happened to a number of sites in early November when it also happened to me. My question is, what should I do to get back in the good graces of Google, or it may actually be, what should I quit doing to cause them to skip over me for pagerank?

[pauldarthvader]

Hi

The same happened to me. Just sit tight for a while, the next time the spider visits you, it will update their database and you should get indexed again.

Paul
http://www.ukgadgetsdirect.co.uk

[katiab]

It happened to me too. I was pretty well ranked on Google, and pouf, I simply vanished. I know a lot of people who have seen the same thing.
What was that about Florida? Could it be that I'm located in Florida that my site has been removed? I never knew about this.

Katia
Original Vintage Poster Gallery 1880 to 1980
http://www.intl-roots.com

[Cyberswordsman]

"I was pretty well ranked on Google, and pouf, I simply vanished."

i was with a friend a couple of weeks ago and i was showing him what $160/mn would buy him at yahoo for the top sponsored link....we went to google for a minute and i typed in the top search for my industry...to my surprise i was #1 AND #2 but i told him i would be gone from those spots in 5 minutes....as luck (bad) would have it five minutes later i indeed was gone...wtf?..."seeee i said...thats why we gots to get this sponsored link"...least when i wake up in the morning i know my top sponsored link will be there...

regards
rick

[jmck]

HI There,

Thanks for the vast amount of info.
I am a newbee so please forgive me in advance for simple questions.
What is the sandbox that is referred to ?
I have a new site up ten days, it is in the Google directory but doesn't register any backlinks etc and the Google box goes white 0/10. Does this simply mean I have to wait three to six weeks for all backlinks to be registered etc ?

Also nobody seems to recommend good link exchange programs ? Can anyone recommend some ?
http://www.lookaroundireland.com
http://www.mypicturesofireland.com

[crankydave]

Originally Posted by jmck

HI There,

Thanks for the vast amount of info.
I am a newbee so please forgive me in advance for simple questions.
What is the sandbox that is referred to ?
I have a new site up ten days, it is in the Google directory but doesn't register any backlinks etc and the Google box goes white 0/10. Does this simply mean I have to wait three to six weeks for all backlinks to be registered etc ?

Also nobody seems to recommend good link exchange programs ? Can anyone recommend some ?
http://www.lookaroundireland.com
http://www.mypicturesofireland.com

Welcome to WPW jmck!

There have been many discussions about the "sandbox" "sandbox effect" "linking strategies" Use the search box with these terms and dig in! A good place to start with linking/marketing would be here...

http://www.webproworld.com/viewforum.php?f=16

Here's another good list for directories...

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=21900

Good Luck!

Dave

[RichardS]

Jestep

Great info. Can I ask what this link You can check the search results across google datacenters here.
http://www.void.be/googletool.html
will do for me? What do I need to get out of it?



Cheers


RS

[shaileshk]

Hi
My site have 34 back link but google give only 2 page Rank ?

Why ? help me


thanks

shailesh