Google’s PageRank is one of the metrics that started it all. It was present in that very first research paper[1], that laid a foundation for Google’s entire ranking system.
PageRank figures out the importance, credibility and “weight” of a webpage, based on the type of backlinks that the webpage gets. It’s a system analogous to academic quotations. So the more robust your backlink[2] profile is, the more appropriate and authoritative backlinks you receive, the higher your chances to rank.
We all know perfectly well what importance good backlinks have. The weight assigned to the page due to its backlink profile can make or break the ranking. And ever since PageRank was first adopted, the SEO community started trying to optimize for it. So it goes, they adopt, and we adapt.
During its long history as a vital ranking factor, PageRank was surrounded by a multitude of misconceptions. In this article, I will address some of the most prevalent ones.
1. PageRank as a metric is too old to matter
PageRank went out of public access[3] in 2016. Before that, its last available update was in 2013. And the original algorithm was presented way back in 1999.
On the Internet, not just metrics, but entire tools can become outdated in a matter of weeks. So talking about an instrument from 1999 might seem like a bad idea to some.
And usually, I’d agree. But not in this case.
First of all, PageRank is, in many ways, one of the cornerstones of Google’s entire ranking system. PageRank[4] (PR) was originally created with a specific goal in mind – to help users avoid junk