
Given the recent innovations in Internet technology, there are several ways that one is able to analyze the success of a web site. In today's market, certain niches or topics can usually generate more money than the subjects that have already been done thousands of times. Google's PageRank system has always been the most recognized of all the ranking standards for webmasters.
Essentially, the PageRank system analyzes the success of a web site based on the number of web sites that link to it. In other words, the more sites that are promoting your site, the better ranking your site will receive. The rating scale ranges from 1-10, and Google usually updates its database every three months. When webmasters are looking to find the most lucrative pages to submit their links, they usually go by the PageRank numbers.
But is the PageRank system now considered outdated? With the Internet blogging revolution at a boom, it seems that each day more and more webmasters are creating new sites. As a result, there are several more sites that have utilized the PageRank system. Like anything in business, the more common something becomes on a market, the less value it has. The recent debate argues that blog web sites should always be given a lower PageRank since they do not always generate legitimate traffic. In addition, many webmasters have found ways to "cheat the system" and generate an inaccurate PageRank.
In the long scheme of things, webmasters are looking to find the best ways to incorporate Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, into their page. This usually deals with writing techniques such as utilizing the proper keywords to rank higher on the search engines. When this type of approach is abused, the whole network of web ranking becomes corrupt. For instance, a site with a PageRank of 2 may appear higher on the Google search results than a site with a PageRank of 4. As a result, the PageRank 2 site will eventually have an inflated price tag when it is sold.
Aside from the idea of PageRank corruption, Google has fallen into the pattern of updating PageRank on a quarterly basis. Us web entrepreneurs know that our sites can change significantly in a three month period. Who is to say that our PageRank isn't higher (or lower) than what Google ranked it as three months ago? Recent critics believe that PageRank was over hyped to begin with, and the best way to monitor the progress of a web site is to look at the cold, hard traffic figures.
In the past year, it seems that Google has been hesitant in releasing the PageRanks on the regular quarterly basis. It is clear that Google representatives are aware of the opinions of webmasters today. The general consensus is that PageRank should be removed altogether, as it has created nothing but controversy. Studies have indicated that there is much corruption within the system, which can unfortunately hurt webmasters in the long run. Will PageRank be removed for good? Even if it isn't, it is obvious that it is no longer considered a viable method of analysis for many.
Spunky Jones.