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Is Chasing PageRank A Worthless Task?

There is still a fascination about PageRank when it comes to search engine optimisation. I can certainly see some advantage in seeking links from sites with high PageRank, but I sometimes wonder if those chasing higher PageRank really understand its position in the online world. There is one thing that site owners really need to come to grips with and that is that PageRank is not search rank.

For many website owners, the misconception is that a higher PageRank will lead to higher ranking within the search results. This is not so – at least, not directly. PageRank is really a measure of a page’s general worth within the online world. While the exact algorithm used to determine PageRank is not known, factors such as inbound links, bounce rates and perhaps even page load speeds are important. PageRank does not measure keywords, and that is where many DIY SEO operators err.

In contrast to PageRank, your ranking in the search results is based first and foremost on keywords – more importantly, the search term entered by a user. That search term is compared to the millions (perhaps billions) of web pages that have been flagged for that term, or very similar terms. Using similar criteria to PageRank, Google will rank pages and display them according to that search ranking. PageRank may well be a factor used in the algorithm, however, since similar criteria is used (with the emphasis on keywords and anchor text, for example), its influence is now probably minor.

The bottom line, PageRank may well be a measure of your site’s overall ‘authority’, but that has little bearing now on actual search results. Proof of this can be seen in basic searches where low ranked pages are often seen at the top of the search results while higher ranked pages can be found much further down.

Rather than chasing PageRank, optimise your pages for users and for keywords and phrases. That is where the search engines are focusing – and quite right too since they are trying to match a search term with the information on a web page. PageRank is outdated and probably left in place by Google as a vanity issue more than anything else. You don’t need a score to tickle your vanity; you need results that come from well optimised pages. A good website owner will know where they stand in search results for their primary keywords – they probably don’t know, or care, about their PageRank.