Google PageRank

PageRank is Google's very own ranking method. Google uses PageRank to shuffle search engine results in the event that websites have similar content. PageRank should give popular websites with good relevant inbound links a boost in the results list.

How does Google PageRank work?

PageRank is a value that Google gives to a website. The higher the value, the better chance the site will have within the search engine results.

PageRank can be viewed as an energy flow within web pages. This energy can be manipulated and shared through other web pages and websites by developing a good linking structure. PageRank can also be viewed as a voting system. By linking to other websites, you are effectively voting for them by saying "I am prepared to link to this website". The higher your own website's PageRank, the more voting power you will have.

Some of the PageRank that your website has can be passed on to other websites. The aim of building incoming links is is to feed off of the PageRank coming from the linking website.

PageRank can be measured as a value between 1 and 10. It is not the case that more links will automatically give your website more PageRank. In order to achieve a higher PageRank, your incoming links will generally have to come from a website that has a higher PageRank than your own, and has similar content.

Google PageRank is passed from page to page and not from website to website (as thought by many). By setting up receptacle links internally or externally, it is possible to create feedback whereby PageRank (voting power) is passed from "page A" to "page B" and then back into "page A" through the receptacle link. The internal linking structure of a website can play a major part in containing PageRank within a website and directing it into a particular page that is optimised for a high ranking within the search engines.