Page Rank 6

[jacobwissler]

I recently took on a new client who has a PR 6, despite just one backlink, from his own site (a PR 5 duplicate domain that I eliminated when I took over his SEO). How does a site get a PR6 with just one backlink from a PR 5 site? The URL is www.swirled-ice.com

My concern is, I don't want to get in bed with this client, if the PR 6 was obtained in an unethical scheme. I can see nothing (other than the PR 5 duplicate domain which I eliminated) that appears to violate the rules, just a simple site with a Page Rank that does not correspond to backlinks.

Does anyone have any idea how this could happen?

[beanstalk]

When I couldn't see the PR using SearchStatus for Firefox but I could using the Google toolbar for IE I quickly realized that the internals weren't assigned any PageRank.

Additionally the homepage doesn't have a cache while the internals do which lends me to believe that they could be using a cloaked redirection trick to give themselves an artificial PageRank similar to that done by The Dark SEO Team at http://pr10.darkseoteam.com/ or else there's something gone awry.

Regardless I would definitely proceed with caution.\

Sorry I can't be of more assitance.

[brian.mark]

I've seen some weird results for PR from domains created this year. I saw one last week that had no links showing in any engine, no referrals from other web pages in their logs, but yet had a PR5. I don't think it's really accurate until the sites are fully off of the beach, and then it's only a snapshot of what they thought they should show us one day of their indexing lives for our entertainment.

Brian.

[dburdon]

Jacob,

very strange. The only inbounds to the index `page are internal. And all of these are PR 0/10.

Whatever technique is being used it is different from that used by DarkSEO. Dark have hijacked the Google home page - hence the PR10. I don't think this is anywhere as serious.

However, I notice there's an outbound link to your home page. If the client can't advise you as to their methods I would proceed with caution.

[wrmineo]

Jacob:

Ironically, dburdon and I were having a similar cunumdrum over a young man trying to sell links to his PR6 site at Link Exchange Forum - the site has ZERO BLs reported at Google, no internal pages with PR and terrible pages and link structure ... hmmm.

Not being an expert, I can only make a few guesses.

First being your first concern, previous unethical practice.

It could also be a result of a purchase of an expired domain that once had a legit BL structure and site.

Brian and others could probably use some of the way back when researching to confirm ... ?

Could it also be a matter of Google DCs being in flux and not showing the BLs? Doubtful, but trying to be fair, if not optimistic.

It'd be interested to learn the truths about these seemingly strange results.

[brian.mark]

Could it also be a matter of Google DCs being in flux and not showing the BLs?

I'd expect that if it were G bein in flux that MSN or Yahoo would show more links. They just don't show much of anything.

Unless the client can tell you how they got that value, or if it corrects itself at the next update, then something weird is going on.

Brian.

[freehits]

Is there a trend report available somewhere I dont know about?

I use http://www.urltrends.com/ so many of mine have histosy reports.

I would be curious what happened in the last update for his site.

For my money that was an odd update that didnt play by old rules.

I had a PR0 goto PR6 with
over 50 internal pages of PR5

It currently shows no backlinks in google either. You should give him the benefit of the doubt, Ecspecially if he states there was a big jump at the last update, lots of sites had it from where I sit.


PS: can I have his old PR5 ?

[dburdon]

I've seen sites that have their SERPs boosted short term by throwaway sites. Is that a possibility here? If so, the client should know about it.