PageRank is a way of measuring the viability and importance of the pages of a website. Developed and patented in 1996 by Larry Page, one of the founders of Google, PageRank is the most well-known algorithm used for search engine results and, simply put, it counts the number of quality links to a page. The premise states that the more quality links a website has to different sites, the better the website will be and the better it will rank in search engines.
PageRank is still alive, well, and valuable, despite the many changes Google has made to search engine algorithms. Despite the changes, there are still websites with low PageRank values that rank high in search indexes. In December 2013, Google updated the algorithm to increase the quality of page rankings. Numerous changes have kept PageRank as one of the factors that SEO specialists take into account when looking for rankings.
· Launched in February 2011, Panda is an algorithm aimed at reducing the ranking of low-quality sites. Google lists low-quality sites as full of ads, poor or duplicate content, and “nothing new” content.
· Google’s Penguin is an algorithm update announced in 2012. Penguin was developed to lower the search engine ranking of websites that violated Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Penguin’s main job is to penalize websites that use “illegal” means to rank high.
· Hummingbird, launched in May 2013, focuses on a search engine’s functions of answering queries, chatting, and anticipating. This new technology uses speech and “talking” to the computer to initiate a search. Keywords are still important for page ranking.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the key to search engines, takes into account what browsers are searching for, actual search keywords, and target audiences. SEO tactics include promoting a site to get more backlinks, editing content, using HTML and associated coding, and masterful use of keywords. A good place to get more information about SEO and PageRanking updates is http://moz.com/Google-algorithm-change.
To learn more about how to use the above information in your own business, keep in mind that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Many successful online businesses are helped by coaches, mentors, and virtual assistants. Coaches and mentors can guide entrepreneurs through the maze of what works and what doesn’t, to help put the website on track to develop quality links today. And virtual assistants can do the work for you, from writing online content to marketing and publishing it, and helping you get links.