Calculating Google PageRank

Have you ever wondered what makes one website more important to Google than another? The answer is Google PageRank. But how does Google determine page rank, and what steps can you take to ensure your website has a high PageRank score?

What Is Google PageRank?

Google PageRank is a mathematical formula that judges the “value” of a page. It is an algorithm that looks at the quality and quantity of other pages that link to that page. The goal is to determine the importance of a webpage. An algorithmic scale determines the score with values from 0-10. The higher the ranking, the more authoritative the page Google considers the page.

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How Is Page Ranking Calculated?

PageRank is no longer the only factor Google looks at when it comes to ranking. There are hundreds of ranking factors Google takes into account when ranking a page. Several factors influence PageRank itself.

Backlinks 

Add many high-authority, relevant website links to your page, and your page will rank higher. When one website links to another, this creates a backlink.

A few ways to build backlinks are:

  • Create original content such as infographics, videos, and webinars that encourage other website owners to share and link to your post.
  • Build relationships with other people in your niche.
  • Share your content on social media and tag relevant people so they will also share your content.

Internal Links 

Internal links will also make an impact on your website traffic. An internal link is a page on your website linking to another page on your website. A page linked to your homepage will boost the authority of that page. You can use Google Analytics to see which pages have the most organic traffic. Those are usually your highest authority pages.

External Links

An external link is when you link your webpage to someone else’s web page. PageRank is all about links, so you should link to it if you find content that helps your viewers. 

Other factors to consider are mobile-friendliness and user experience. Google search statistics show that mobile devices dominate as a search method, so Google uses a site’s mobile-friendliness as one of their ranking factors. Google also wants content that will give users a good experience on a website. Your site should be easy to read, organized, interesting, contain helpful content, and have a responsive design. 

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How to Check Your Page Rank

You can search Google without influencing the results based on your browser history. When checking your page rank, you should browse as a “guest” so that your previous search history does not skew your results. You should also see how you’re ranking for specific keywords. 

Importance of Link Equity

There are now hundreds of ranking factors that go into PageRank. Link equity is one of those factors. Link equity, also known as “link juice,” is a ranking of value and authority of one page to another. Google and other search engines use this information to determine a webpage’s ranking on the search engine results page (SERP)

How is link equity determined? Internal and external links can pass link equity. There are several ways a link gives link equity. 

Relevance

Links are relevant when they provide value and authority to your page. Google knows when a link is irrelevant, and that hurts your PageRank. An example of an unrelated link would be if you searched for a baking recipe and, instead, you found a linked page about fixing a car.

Authority

When an established, authoritative link connects to your page, it will pass link equity. However, linking to a brand new website won’t be as likely to give link equity.  

Crawlability 

If a robot.txt file blocks a page, it will not pass value because the crawler ignores the page.

Location

A link’s location on a page affects link equity. Links placed within an article are better than links in the sidebar or footer. Site architecture helps Google determine what content is most beneficial to the website visitors. 

Another factor is the number of links on a page. There’s no hard and fast rule as to how many links to have on one page. However, if the link to your site is one of hundreds or thousands, it may not be as valuable. The link is less likely to be found and clicked on by visitors, too!

Status

What’s the HTTP status? Pages resolving as 200s or permanent 301 redirects will maintain their link equity. Google has stated that all redirects, even temporary 301 redirects, will pass PageRank. However, other search engines may not treat them the same, so be sure to take that into account when planning your ranking strategy.

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PageRank Strategy

There are many vital components to a PageRank strategy, and not having one will affect your ranking. Let’s take a look at the elements of good design.

Understand Google’s Algorithm

Google’s algorithm is constantly changing. Moz estimates 500-600 Google algorithm changes per year. Additionally, Google does not publicly announce most of the changes. Still, there are some techniques you can use to improve your site’s performance in Google’s algorithm.

Assess Your Current Google Ranking.

  • Check your site’s keyword rankings, speed, and overall health.

Track and Measure the Right SEO Metrics.

  • Organic traffic
  • Organic traffic conversions
  • Keyword ranking for transactional keywords
  • Set up an SEO dashboard to track these metrics

Make Sure Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly and Ready for Mobile-First Google.

  • Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is an easy way to check and see where your website stands.
  • Google Search Console also has a Mobile Usability Report to check your website for mobile-friendliness.
  • Keep your Google My Business profile up to date.

Diagnose and Fix Your Current Google Penalties. 

Analyze your links using tools such as:

Also, be sure to use unique active backlinks and optimize the anchor text.

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Clean Up Your Link Profile to Avoid a Google Penalty.

  • Request manual link removal.
  • Use Google’s disavow links tool.
  • Diversify anchor text distribution.
  • Avoid over-optimization.

Improve Google Rankings Via Keyword Research.

  • Learn how your audience finds your site.
  • Spy on your competitors’ keywords.
  • Boost lower ranking keywords.
  • Use keyword analysis to improve the content.

Increase Google Ranking With On-Page SEO.

  • Optimize title tags.
  • Use schema markup.
  • Featured snippets.
  • Create a sitemap to improve rankings.

Use Keywords and Create Better Content.

  • Write data-driven articles.
  • Use storytelling.
  • Add a call to action (CTA).
  • Write shareable headlines.
  • Create a multimedia experience. 
  • Get rid of duplicate content.

Build Links the Right Way.

  • Anchor text linking 
  • Internal links 
  • Editorial links
  • Scale link building 

Get Active on Social Media.

Social media will drive traffic to your website, which improves your ranking. Encouraging people to engage in your content will also help your rankings. Tag your friends who you think would be interested in the content. When you tag someone, Facebook shares the content with all of the friends of the person you tagged.

Google takes into account as much information about your website as possible. Search engines consider the following:

  • Are you active on social media?
  • Are your social media accounts up to date?
  • How many shares does your website content get on social media?

This section only touches the surface of a PageRank strategy. There are all sorts of resources out there to help you build a successful system.

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Page Rank Checker

PageRank Checker or Google PageRank uses an algorithm. Google sets up algorithms to ensure that the search engine results page (SERP) provides the best results for the terms someone searches. For instance, if you’re looking for baking or recipes, Google will not give you results about clothing. 

As mentioned above, PageRank is all about links. Google PageRank uses a link analysis algorithm to measure the importance of a website. Therefore, pages with a high PageRank score help other websites improve or achieve a higher PageRank score.

There are several PageRank checker software options available. 

Ahrefs

  • Monitor your ranking over time.
  • Compare your performance with your competitors and get scheduled reports via email.
  • Track mobile and desktop rankings.

SEMrush

Besides rank tracking, SEMrush also does the following:

  • It tracks the position of any keyword.
  • It targets different devices by entering your domain and target keywords.

Moz Pro’s Rank Checker

  • Stores ranking data so that you can compare ranks at a later stage.
  • Select limited data and track it over a long time.
  • Supports all major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing).
  • Check rank locally and globally.
  • Monitor the rankings of your competitors.

PageRank provides essential data for Google rankings. The many tools available, authoritative content, good links, and a PageRank strategy will help your website rank higher on the Search Engine Results Page and improve your visibility and website traffic.

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SEO Design Chicago offers many SEO services such as ongoing quality content, local search optimization, link building, and keyword research. Contact us today to see how we can help you improve your Google PageRank score.

FAQ:

  • What is Google PageRank?
  • Which factors affect your PageRank?
  • What is link equity or “link juice?”
  • Which PageRank checker is best for you?
  • Why is a PageRank strategy important?

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