Exploring PageRank and Its Relationship to SERPs

[mjtaylor]

What do we know (not what do we believe) about PageRank and its relationship to SERPs?

PageRank has some relationship to SERPS (in concert with 200 other ranking factors).

I think we know that - and little more.

PageRank is not related to quality or relevance of a site’s content so it clearly can’t be the most important factor for a given search, but it must have a integral place in the equation.

So how important is it? High importance, moderate, or low?

It is popular with SEOs currently to dismiss the value of PageRank and to assert that it is not related to SERPs. We can all point to competitive searches where lower PR pages outperform pages with higher PR. Matt Cutts often reminds us not to worry about PR, that it’s "only one of more than 200 factors."

And yet, here on Corporate Information - Technology Overview Google says (bolding mine):

PageRank Technology: PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

What facts can we bring to the table on this question? I am not asking you to tell me what you believe or what you heard someone else say. I am asking to explore what we know. Please substantiate any assertions.

NB: I know there is an important distinction between actual PageRank (which is continually updated) and Toolbar PageRank (which is outdated when pushed), but for the sake of discussion, I wonder if can we leave that issue aside?

[kgun]

Some relevant links to give you input to a far from exact science for outsiders:

1. SEOmoz | How Google's Rankings Algorithm Has Changed Over Time
2. Search Engine Ranking Factors | SEOmoz
3. http://www.webproworld.com/google-di...tml#post455729
4. http://www.webproworld.com/google-di...tml#post473199
5. http://www.webproworld.com/google-di...tml#post485693

[SEOCipher]

I hate to shamelessly plug here, but I don't want to just re-explain my thoughts on this when I recently wrote a post almost directly related to this concept in SEOmoz' user-generated section. It's my theory that Google multiplies PageRank (real PageRank value, not toolbar) with a relevance score for every inbound link going to a landing page, and that's how it ties into SERPs. The PageRank algorithm is used to determine overall importance/reputation based on links alone (no keyword analysis), and then later on uses that number in their total relevance calculation. The total relevance score is based on the summation of the relevance product (inbound linking page relevance multiplied by PageRank) for every inbound link to the landing page. External inbound links are of course multiplied by a factor to give them more weight than internal links. My complete theory can be read here: SEOmoz | YOUmoz - Simplified Google Ranking Model. A friend of mine put together a diagram to illustrate the theory, which may help you understand the article a little better. Again, sorry for the self promotion! Please don't bash me for it. And yes, it's just a theory with no hard evidence, but I think it's a good one.

[danners]

Take a look at the Options in the Google toolbar if you have it installed - in regard to Pagerank it specifically states:
"See Google's view of the importance of a page"
Can't get much clearer than that!

[deepsand]

Take a look at the Options in the Google toolbar if you have it installed - in regard to Pagerank it specifically states:
"See Google's view of the importance of a page"
Can't get much clearer than that!

Hm-mm; absolutely nothing there!

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[smoothunit]

I have been working my website since 2005. I have hundreds of inlinks, yet Google recognizes only a couple. My page rank is pathetic, yet my site shows on page one for almost all of my pages, keywords, etc. I cannot get much higher when it comes to search, but Google does not recognize me when related to pagerank or inlinks or outlinks. Ask me if I care, hell no. 5 years ago a seo laughed at me and told me my site would be gone in a year. Errors, bad code, no p3p or whatever it is. Well I am gone alright, gone to page 1 for almost 60 pages. Seo? Site has been gone for years. I think I remember Matt Cutts saying years ago its page content and relevence that ranks, so that is what I concentrated on. Also loading speed, about 0.12 sec Been told over and over by people site loads super fast. Amatuerish? maybe, but the bottom line is PAGE ONE! Linkreferral has 160 some reviews on my site all positive for loading, content, ease of navigation. In 1983 I thought a website was something in between the rafters in my basement, I literally did not know how to turn a computer on.

[mjtaylor]

Take a look at the Options in the Google toolbar if you have it installed - in regard to Pagerank it specifically states:
"See Google's view of the importance of a page"
Can't get much clearer than that!

The question is how important it is to SERPs, though?

[deepsand]

More precisely, what is the quantitative import of PR relative to other factors?

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[mjtaylor]

More precisely, what is the quantitative import of PR relative to other factors?

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Yes, precisely.

But in layman's terms .........

[petermcclurg]

[QUOTE=smoothunit;507807 My page rank is pathetic, yet my site shows on page one for almost all of my pages, keywords, etc. I cannot get much higher when it comes to search, but Google does not recognize me when related to pagerank or inlinks or outlinks. Ask me if I care, hell no. [/QUOTE]

Well said.I also have a site for my business geographically targeted with no1 search results but non existent page ranking by both Google & Alexa. I have not updated the site for almost a year now & to be honest the design is pretty bad. It is a site in a pretty competative market. I dont see the need to theorise endlessly about SEO.

Just do it!