ARTICLES FOR WEBMASTERS 
 The Difference between PageRank and Search Engine Rank
By Lysis
Many website owners think PageRank (PR) and search engine rank are
synonymous. However, these two components of a successful website are
different. Although having a good value for both is extraordinary, a
website owner can have a successful online presence while still
maintaining a PR of only four or five.
Google PageRank
PageRank is a numerical value calculated by Google. The PageRank name
and formula are trademarked and patented respectively by Google. The
value is used to determine the popularity of a website. The popularity
is measured by the amount of backlinks that point to pages on your
website. For this reason, each page within the domain can have
different PageRank values. It's not unusual for a domain's homepage to
have a PR of six or seven while inner pages only have a value of three
or four. PageRank is calculated by Google approximately four times a
year, so your PR value will only see changes a few times each year.
PageRank is one of the hundreds of factors used to determine the
relevancy and position in the Google index. Many website owners put a
lot of time and effort into link building and use methods that are
against Google's guidelines. Some website owners purchase backlinks
from link exchange companies or spammers. The initial benefit is seen
in a quick increase in PR. However, if Google detects this type of
practice, the backlinks to the website are devalued. This leads to a
reduction in PageRank. In some cases, Google may drop the website's PR
to zero.
Search Engine Ranking
PageRank only helps a website in the Google index. However, a
successful rank in Bing and Yahoo require similar dedication and work.
For most websites, success in Google is followed by success in Bing and
Yahoo. Google has announced that PR values should not be the
website owner's main concern. Instead, the website owner should focus
on valuable content, easy navigation and a good user experience.
Search engine rank is a time consuming process that takes work and
dedication. The ranking process is unique from PageRank in that it
requires several factors. Some common search engine ranking factors
include code implementation, keyword-rich content, regular updates and
a sitemap.
Some website owners use blackhat techniques that initially raise search
engine rank. The Google algorithm has become smarter and detects many
methods such as hidden text and cloaking. Using hidden text, publishing
pages with bad code, implementing a slow homepage and interlinking
several domains without the use of the "nofollow" parameter are all
ways a website can lose its position in Google.
Cloaking is a technique that loads a specific page for Google and
displays a different page for website readers in an effort to increase
search engine rank for certain keywords. Google removes websites from
its index for blackhat programming habits like cloaking. Ensure any
code implementations follow Google guidelines to avoid a penalty.
Penalties from Google result in a drop in search engine rank. Websites
ranked on the first or second page are commonly dropped by hundreds of
pages.
Although both these search engine factors lead to a successful website,
site owners should focus on content and a good user experience. Google
can bring thousands of visitors to your website, but a website can
still fail due to poor website design. Instead of focusing on search
engines, focus on a good user experience and search engine rank will
follow.
Recent articles:
|