Google Back Link Update

Garrett · #1 (**permalink**) 06-01-2004, 05:32 PM

It appears that Google's updated/updating (depending on when you read this) their back links. This means that Google's evaluating the links to your site and awarding or penalizing it with more links. If you've been especially industrious about finding more links to your site you may see a growth in your PageRank.

Your PageRank does not necessarily indicate where your page will rank for your given search terms however.

There's a tool over at WebMasterBrain that queries all the Google datacenters and reveals the PageRank of your site across them.

If you see differences in your PR across the datacenters after you've queried their page you know that a) there's an update in progress and b) what your PageRank is likely to be after the update's complete.

SEOChat and Internet Marketing Research forums are both discussing the update and sharing their glory/distress.

pedstersplanet · #2 (**permalink**) 06-01-2004, 05:44 PM

About time, although I only have 4 links extra.. But at least my PR stayed the same - wouldve liked it to improve but hey, life is a load of swings n round-a-bouts....

cbp · #3 (**permalink**) 06-01-2004, 06:11 PM

I think we have to stop using the term update, IMHO.

What Google really do is change the composition of sites in the sample of backlinks - some go up and some go down. An update implies an increase, when this is not what happens.

CBP

TLDTrader.com · #4 (**permalink**) 06-01-2004, 08:27 PM

My backlinks went down. Could be temporary as it's not over yet. We'll see when it stabilizes.

Most of my sites retained their PR. But one achieved a PR4 from PR0. I managed to get PR5 links from a relevant/competing site :) I really believe that relevance and quality of the link is more important than quantity. There are indications now that Google is filtering backlinks and removing/ignoring those non-relevant to your site.

HellaCooL · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2004, 09:27 PM

My home page PR stayed the same but the internal pages that I added a few weeks ago, one of my sites, finally got a PR. Now I can exchange links again :))
However, it is strange that on my other website, some of the internal pages that I added almost immediately after the last update are still showing PR 0. Maybe the update is not over yet.

Graf1771 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 09:56 AM

There don't appear to be any changes on any of the sites i run and manage so far.

I've been waiting, and trying to update and increase the backlinks to one site in particular this month: www.ticketbin.net and so far there's been no change, despite the fact that googlebot has been visiting everyday.

TLDTrader.com · #7 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 10:06 AM

This is just a hunch. But I think Google is just filtering irrelevant links to sites. Makes sense if they can do that. Back links are the most affected in this "update". Almost all of my sites' back links dropped.

kokopoko · #8 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 11:23 AM

I am just irritated. I worked my butt off getting backlinks over the last month and my PR has stayed the same. A measly PR2. Grrrr

BStone · #9 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 01:56 PM

My index page only went from PR 5 to 6 “most disappointing” but many of the topics pages have increased or obtained PR which is by far more important to submitters. I guess I can’t complain but I was hoping for PR 7 on the index page.

seanpecor · #10 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 03:43 PM

kokopoko, it appears that this back-link update does NOT include back-links created after approx. May 1st. Any back-links created during April should now be acknowledged though.

TLDTrader.com, I'm guessing that they are only acknowledging back-links via link:yourdomain.com searches that meet a certain criteria. They might be only displaying link locations that have a certain minimum PR. For example, I know that there are well over 1,500 links to my domain in Google from unique domains, but the link: command only reports 325 or so. Those links that I see appear in the link: search all have a PR4 or higher. Ones that don't appear are those with lower PR. Hmm. If that's the case, then it's a good use of PR in my opinion.

My home page hit PR7 with this update and all of my secondary and many of my tertiary pages are now PR6, but I haven't noticed anything more than a slight overall improvement in SERP ranking. I suspect that a) either the SERPs have already changed weeks ago to reflect this now public PR update or b) we'll see a moderate shift in SERPs within the next seven days or so.

Sean.

TLDTrader.com · #11 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 06:59 PM

SERP seems to be not much affected also. Maybe those who went down on SERP had their irrelevant links removed by Google.

This is not a Google dance. As I mentioned, this "update" seems to be concentrated on filtering back links.

Of course, those are my opinions only :)

Regards.

cbp · #12 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 07:16 PM

Quote:

SERP seems to be not much affected also

Yes - the best guess I have seen suggest that Google updates the PR and backlinks INTERNALLY around 2 weeks before the publically available update - so the SERPS have already changed to take account of them.

CBP

smartads · #13 (**permalink**) 06-03-2004, 10:35 PM

Seems like we are all seeing some results.

Pay close attention to your "internal links" as well! My main page didn't rise (again) but all my internal links jumped up to match my main page!

Incoming links were all updated. Remember the sandbox effect??? Sites that got hit for certain key searches are started to slowly show up and perform again... keep an eye out for that one!

Martin

mryang · #14 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 06:48 AM

Hiya,

I have noticed significant changes, during the last few days my pageranks were changing up and down from 5 to 6 at different times of the day... the homepage has now settled at 5 but significant changes and benefits to pages within my site, many pages which previosly had PR of 0,2,3... all now with 4 or 5 - may be more luck than judgement but Im happy getting the extra 3-400 unique visitors a day and growing.

roliver · #15 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 09:54 AM

For some unknown reason, my backlinks dropped from over 100 to 45. PR stayed the same though at 5. I'm curious though as a few of the 45 are relatively recent additions. I've been working to add and it's great to see those show up, but I wonder where the others went.

cbp · #16 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 10:05 AM

Quote:

I wonder where the others went.

They went no where. Google just choose not to show all links in the backlinks sample. Obviously they are still be counted or your PR would have dropped as well.

CBP

HellaCooL · #17 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartads

Seems like we are all seeing some results.

Incoming links were all updated. Remember the sandbox effect??? Sites that got hit for certain key searches are started to slowly show up and perform again... keep an eye out for that one!

Martin

One of my websites is in the "sandbox". However, I don't see any changes yet, and this website has been affected for a long time now (4 months).
It's getting to be really annoying.

Dave Hawley · #18 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 11:08 PM

:( No change for me. Ignorance was bliss.