PageRank

What Is PageRank?

PageRank is an algorithm developed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1997.

The PageRank algorithm helps Google determine the importance of a webpage based on the number and quality of links pointing to it. This is a significant factor in how high you rank in Google’s search engine results pages.

Put simply – PageRank measures a webpage’s “authority” by analysing how many other websites link to it.

When PageRank was first released, Google allowed you to see the PageRank score of individual pages through the Google Toolbar.

PageRank Google Toolbar

Essentially, the PageRank (PR) score was out of 10. A PR score of 0 represented low-quality pages, while a PR score of 10 represented high-quality pages.

The goal for SEOs and Website owners was to increase their PageRank score by building as many backlinks as possible.

Displaying the PageRank score was eventually phased out because Google wanted site owners to focus on creating content rather than increasing their PageRank score.

Today, Google uses PageRank differently from when it was first released.

It has been integrated into the Google Core algorithm and uses different metrics to measure your website.

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How Does PageRank Work?

PageRank works by evaluating the quantity and quality of inbound links pointing at your site. This provides an estimate of how important your website is.

When Google first developed PageRank, it was based on a simple idea:

A link from one website to another is like a vote of trust.

The more links (votes) pointing to a page, the more trustworthy it is and the higher it should rank. Make sense, right?

This is a simple illustration of how PageRank works:

pagerank illustration

But here’s what Google figured out quickly…

Not all links are created equal.

The authority of the page giving the link matters (a lot).

For example, a link from a high-authority page (let’s say PR7) is way more valuable than one from a low-authority page (like PR3). And that makes sense.

This transfer of PageRank from one page to another is called link equity.”

Link equity is an important concept in understanding how PageRank flows from one site to another.

Google developed the PageRank system to better evaluate the quality of links.

That’s why getting backlinks from other high-PR pages is more beneficial (and passes more link equity) than getting tons of links from low-PR pages.

But there’s more to it…

PageRank is distributed across all outbound links from a page.

If a high-authority page links to three different pages, each linked page gets a share of the original page’s rank.

To keep things realistic and prevent endless loops of link accumulation, Google introduced a damping factor, usually set around 0.85.

This models the likelihood that a user will stop clicking on links at any point.

All these factors come together in a mathematical formula used to calculate the PageRank of a page, which was outlined in the original patent:

PR(A) = (1-d) + d (PR(T1)/C(T1) + … + PR(Tn)/C(Tn))

Complicated?

Don’t worry…

You don’t need to understand the formula to take advantage of PageRank. I just wanted to give you a full breakdown so you can see it in action.

The bottom line is that PageRank evaluates both the quantity and quality of inbound links to estimate your site’s importance.

The more links you get from higher quality sites, the higher your overall PageRank. It’s as simple as that!

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Is PageRank Still Important?

PageRank is still important today because Google still uses many of the PageRank features to evaluate backlinks.

Even if PageRank isn’t the same as it was initially, it’s still an important Google ranking factor.

Garry Iylles confirmed on Twitter in 2017 that the Google algorithm still uses PageRank. This was confirmed again in 2020 by John Mueller:

john mueller confirms pagerank

So, we still know that Google used PageRank in their algorithm.

But even more than that…

The Google search leak in 2024 gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how Google uses PageRank and the factors affecting your PageRank score today.

That means we now have a good understanding of what needs to be done to improve a PageRank score.

Check your not using blacklisted backlinks here

How To Improve Your PageRank

Use these tips to improve your PageRank score:

1. Build High-Quality Links

Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites.

These links signal to Google that your website is trustworthy and valuable, which can significantly improve your PageRank score.

Use proven link building strategies such as-

And more, to help you acquire quality links to boost your PageRank score.

Need help building links?

Consider outsourcing to trusted link building services.

We build links that rank

The truth is that link building is a must if you are really serious about increasing your PageRank.

2. Improve Your Internal Linking

Internal linking helps distribute PageRank across your website.

What does that really mean?

It ensures that other pages on your website receive link equity, ultimately strengthening the PageRank score for each linked page.

By strategically linking from high-ranking pages to other relevant pages within your site, you can enhance the visibility of your entire website.

As a by-product, better internal links will also help Google understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.

All of this means higher rankings!

Make sure you check out our complete internal link building guide to learn more.

Internal Linking

3. Fix Broken Links

Fixing broken links on your site is crucial for maintaining a healthy backlink profile and ensuring that PageRank isn’t wasted on dead ends.

Broken links frustrate users and cause search engines to devalue your site.

That’s why it’s so important to regularly audit your site to identify any 404 errors you might have.

ahrefs broken link building tool

Use 301 redirects to direct traffic from broken URLs to relevant, functional pages. This will preserve PageRank flow and improve the website user experience.

4. Create Great Content

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…

Great content is the foundation of any SEO strategy. Without it, you won’t get very far in the SEO game.

good website content vs bad website content

But what most people don’t realise is how content affects your PageRank.

Let me explain:

High-quality, informative, and engaging content naturally attracts links from other websites. This can significantly improve your PageRank without you having to do anything extra.

Who doesn’t want that, right?

Focus on delivering content that solves problems, answers questions, and provides real value to your audience.

This will improve your website’s overall quality and maximise your chances of earning links automatically.

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