Is this the death of PageRank?

[tamecrow]

The discussions regarding the recent PageRank shakeup are always very fruity, but here's a topic of debate for you. Is this the beginning of the end for PageRank? Definitive PageRank, most probably not, but what about Toolbar PageRank? Are Google starting to phase out the marker which has caused so much controversy and debate in the SEO world since its inception? Is this the death of the little green bar?

Discuss

[coolguy27]

I think not as long as the Google still uses this as their algorithm it will never be....Maybe they can hide it just like the Supplemental Results. They disabled it for viewing...

[mjtaylor]

Personally, I believe Google kept the toolbar PR because they believed that was the main reason users have the toolbar and they want the user info. But I have thought for a while that with all the hoopla about paid links they should and would just stop revealing it altogether! Ctabuk says the newer versions of toolbars do not have the PR option ... I don't know about that.

Frankly, I was surprised they did this export ... link buying and trading for PR will not stop until people can't easily assess it - or think they can.

[tamecrow]

Personally, I believe Google kept the toolbar PR because they believed that was the main reason users have the toolbar and they want the user info.

This is an interesting idea.

Of course, there's one point worth considering. The fact that the PageRank drops were so dramatic and affected such big websites (YouTube, Washington Post) and enough minor websites to make webmasters it up and take notice, coupled with the fact that Matt Cutts came out and very publicly announced the reasons behind this, makes me wonder. It was Matt Cutts who first 'tipped off' the community about paid linking, and we've not heard much official word other than that. It makes me wonder if this is another scare tactic of piece of PageRank propaganda.

[wige]

Realistically, Google can't get rid of the toolbar pagerank. It is the only way they have an excuse to gather browsing data from toolbar users. Without that, the toolbar could be classified as spyware, which would wipe out use of the toolbar, and probably diminish consumer trust. Although it is known in SEO and SEM circles that the toolbar pagerank does not affect SERPs directly, end users in the general public can still use it as a gauge of the approximate web popularity of a specific page, which can still be slightly useful in determining if a page is a phishing page, for example.

[mjtaylor]

Realistically, Google can't get rid of the toolbar pagerank. It is the only way they have an excuse to gather browsing data from toolbar users. Without that, the toolbar could be classified as spyware, which would wipe out use of the toolbar, and probably diminish consumer trust.

Wige, I don't understand why removing PR from the toolbar would make G's toolbar spyware? And Yahoo's toolbar doesn't have a PR metric ... is that spyware? Or do they not gather info?

[SEO Slacker]

Yeah, I don't really agree that removing Pagerank would make the Google toolbar spyware. Less people might install it without Pagerank, but doesn't it still provide some useful search functions or something? (I only use it for PR - no clue what it's supposed to do. )

[incrediblehelp]

Having TBPR viewable or not, any toolbar in general can gather user data. Remember you are opting into installing the thing. You could be installing god knows what when doing such a thing.

We hope the major companies and search engines ethically wont do such a thing, but some do.

[wige]

True, any toolbar can gather and report what you do. However, the ones that actually do so have to make it clear that is what they are doing in the EULA, and they must provide a clear reason for gathering this data (and it must be something that can be considered a benefit for the user) or they will be labeled as spyware. Basically, Google tries to emphasize to the public their doctrine of "Don't be evil". They have already run into legal issues over privacy, and if they completely do away with displaying pagerank, they won't have any excuse for their toolbar to send browsing data back to their servers. Most toolbars do not track browser behavior to the same extent as Googles, and the ones that do are generally considered spyware unless they can provide a reason for that activity - As far as I know, Yahoo doesn't send data back to their servers unless you make a specific request, and anti-phishing and security toolbars can make the argument that they are checking the page or domain against a central database.

[dburdon]

Tamecrow,

hmmm. PageRank is definitely here to stay. Its Google's raison d'etre. Forget Toolbar PageRank. It counts for very little.