Why Ranking Matters More: A Closer Look at PageRank
In the world of SEO, there is a constant desire to improve website rankings and drive more organic traffic. For many years, the focus has been on building PageRank-passing backlinks in the hopes that it will boost rankings and attract converting traffic. However, this strategy may not be as effective or sustainable as it seems.
PageRank, which has been around for 25 years, is a mysterious and ever-changing algorithm used by Google to calculate the importance of webpages. Despite its popularity among SEO professionals, the actual PageRank value of any website or webpage is elusive and constantly changing. Google does not share this information with the public or website owners, making it impossible to accurately gauge the impact of backlinks on rankings.
Furthermore, third-party alternative rank calculations cannot reliably measure backlink value or predict how a backlink will affect a website’s visibility in Google. This means that focusing on building PageRank-passing backlinks is essentially gambling and hoping for the best.
There are also other problems associated with an SEO strategy based on PageRank-passing link building. It requires a significant amount of time and resources, which can take away from other important aspects of a website’s SEO, such as infrastructure, code base, performance, content publication, marketing, and brand building. This can lead to a decline in other SEO signals and ultimately harm a website’s rankings.
Another major issue with this strategy is that buying PageRank-passing backlinks is a violation of Google Search Essentials (formerly known as Google Webmaster Guidelines). If Google detects this violation, it can result in a manual penalty and a significant loss of traffic.
Fortunately, there are safer and more effective alternatives to PageRank-passing link building. One such strategy is to focus on building links for converting traffic. This approach requires fewer links, allows for instant ROI measurement, and eliminates the risk of Google penalties. By targeting links that will attract users who are more likely to convert, website owners can see better results without the uncertainty of PageRank.
Performance is another important factor to consider in SEO. Google prioritizes user experience, and faster-loading websites tend to rank higher in search results. By improving a website’s performance, it can gain an advantage over its competitors and attract more organic traffic.
Brand recognition is another underestimated SEO factor. While Google does not show preference to any particular brand, users tend to click on search results from brands they know and trust. Increasing brand recognition can lead to higher click-through rates and improved rankings for competitive queries.
Demonstrating a unique selling proposition is also crucial for higher rankings in search engines. Websites need to clearly communicate why they are the best option for a user’s query and how they differentiate themselves from competing pages. Combined with high brand recognition, a unique selling proposition is a powerful tool for continuous growth in SEO.
Managing crawl budget is another top priority for large websites. When important landing pages are not crawled frequently enough, it can negatively impact rankings and user satisfaction. By actively managing crawl budget and focusing on desirable landing pages, website owners can improve their rankings and prevent potential penalties.
Consistency is key in SEO signals. Poorly implemented redirects, bad canonicals, wrong hreflang implementation, and incorrect robots.txt directives can confuse search engine bots and lead to flatlining rankings. Regular SEO audits and analysis can help identify and resolve these issues, ensuring that a website’s signals are consistent and optimized for search engines.
In conclusion, while PageRank-passing link building has been a popular strategy in the SEO world, it is not necessarily the most effective or sustainable approach. Focusing on PageRank can distract from other important SEO opportunities, such as building links for converting traffic, improving performance, increasing brand recognition, demonstrating a unique selling proposition, managing crawl budget, and maintaining signal consistency. By diversifying SEO efforts and focusing on these alternative strategies, website owners can achieve better and more sustainable organic growth.
