Google Pagerank Update

Not that it means too much (unless you're selling a site or links, even then it should only be a preliminary indicator of quality) but google has updated visual pagerank.

The bigger the number the bigger the ego massage .

 

With all G's "don't sell or buy links" mantra - wtf they still promoting the PRank for?

As you say only good for those looking for links or selling them - even then you can fake it easily anyways.

 

Matt Cutts made a video about this other day funnily enough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbK6hlQlmUc

I don't think It would make too much of a difference if they did turn it off with opensitexplorer and similar sites.

 

There wasn't just a PR update, some of my friends complained that they've lost positions in SERP as well.

 

It would, because you wouldn't be able to see if a site has been manually penalised in terms of passing link juice.

 

I would assume you would get a GWT message no?.

 

Not if you don't own the site.

 

Why would you be worried if the PR dropped on a site you don't own?.

 

It would affect your decision on whether you want a link from it. Or it might be the cause of your own site dropping in the SERPs if you already have a link from it. Or you might be considering buying the site and that's one of the valuation/negotiation factors.

 

Also, for some changes I assume you wouldn't get a GWT message - for example when Google devalued a load of directories across the board. What would it say? Maybe a warning about providing valuable content or something.

 

PR should only ever be a preliminary indication though shouldn't it, need to look under the bonnet a bit.

If all you had to your link profile was directories/low quality links then you never really had much to lose.

 

Yes, always.

Was just an example...Google only tells you what they want you to know, which isn't always what you need to know.

 

They also often tell you things that are a complete pack of lies.

 

I fail to understand when Google increases the PageRank of a website from two to three and later on makes changes by decreasing the same website's PageRank from three to a PageRank of one. What do you think could be happening with such changes?

 

PageRank is simply a measure of link flow. If your site gains links, the PageRank will increase. If your site loses links, it will decrease.

 

So the traffic does not influence at all Google PR? Only external links?

 

Correct.

Correlation =/= Causation