PageRank

What is PageRank?

PageRank is an algorithm that Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed for Google to judge the importance of web pages by the links that point to them. A link from an important page counts for more. PageRank still exists as one of many signals, but Google no longer shows the score publicly.

Why is PageRank important?

• Foundation of Google: the idea that links pass on trust is still a core principle.
• Link quality: one strong, relevant link can be worth more than many weak ones.
• Internal links: you distribute authority within your site through your internal links.

Examples of PageRank

• A link from a national newspaper that gives your page a lot of weight
• A homepage that receives many external links and passes some of that on through internal links
• The public PageRank score in the old Google Toolbar, discontinued in 2016

How do you deal with PageRank?

Do not chase a score. Focus on relevant links from trustworthy websites and a logical internal link structure. Do not use bought links. See our approach to link building.