Many site owners are scrambling to fix their site’s rank after the Google Panda update. More and more we hear about the importance of PageRank. This leads to two main questions. First, what exactly is PageRank? Second, how can you figure out how your site ranks? The first question is hard to answer since Google has never released the full details of what determines a site’s rank. The second is much easier and anyone can do it for any website.
What Is PageRank?
PageRank is what Google’s search engine was based upon when it was developed. The concept has been fine tuned throughout the years to make Google a more effective search engine. While many might disagree, PageRank is thought to help make Google more user friendly by finding the right types of sites for human visitors.
Google states that the main factor in determining PageRank is quality backlinks. The hardest thing to understand is how different links have a different value. Every site that links back to you shares a portion of its own PageRank. However, in most cases, the original site doesn’t actually lose any of its own rank. PageRank is further complicated because each level of rank isn’t the same. For instance, the number of quality backlinks to go from level 3 to 4 isn’t the same as going from 4 to 5.
PageRank isn’t the same as the popular Alexa scale. Instead of an easy to understand number, PageRank is on a 10 point scale, with PR10 being the highest and most coveted number. Google, for instance, is a PR10. As popular as Associated Content is, its rank currently sets at PR7. In most cases, a PR5 and above is respectable. It all depends on how many high quality backlinks lead back to your site and whatever other factors Google takes into consideration.
Check Your PageRank
If you’re now curious as to how your site stacks up, there are numerous free tools that allow you to check not only your site, but most every other website. Remember that sites themselves don’t necessarily rank. Rank is on a page by page basis. Most websites try to rank their most important pages, such as the home page, which leads to every other page on their site. For instance, the PageRank of a single article on Associated Content may only be a PR2, but the main site is much higher.
The first tool is a toolbar from Google. You can download the Google Toolbar as long as you are using Internet Explorer or Firefox. Chrome support is in the works. Download the toolbar and follow the installation instructions. You may need to restart your browser in order for the toolbar to display. Once you see the toolbar, ensure the PageRank button is visible. The icon looks like a small rectangle filled partially with green.
To enable this button if you don’t see it, press the Wrench icon on the toolbar. Select Tools and ensure the PageRank checkbox is checked. Press Save to save your settings. Now when you visit a site, hover you mouse of this icon to see the site’s rank.
The second tool requires no installation. Instead, open a browser window and navigate to PRChecker.info. Enter the full URL of the site you wish to check. Press Check PR and enter the CAPTCHA code. Having to enter the code for every site you visit can get old quick. If you check sites often, use the Google Toolbar. Also note that you can install PRChecker’s PageRank button on your website. This lets you and visitors see your PageRank on any page you install the code on.