A lot of website owners are upset or puzzled when their website's Google PageRank goes down or does not rise. Is it worth losing any sleep over changes in that green line and number that appear in a Google tool bar at the top of your browser? I think that excessive worry or thought about PageRank is not constructive, and it is better to put it all in perspective by taking a rational look at what PageRank is and what it is not.

First of all the concept behind PageRank is indeed at the heart of Google's ranking process. The Google founders came from academia and they noticed that in many academic documents some sources were continually cited. They reasoned that if a particular document such as a book or research paper was mentioned in many places then it must be important. They applied this to the web and assumed that if one website links to another it is in fact, giving a "vote" for that site. A website that has many incoming links must have a certain degree of importance. In the current Google algorithm the quantity and quality of incoming links is certainly a factor in deciding the ranking of a particular website for any given search-query.

Think about it. In the early days of the web people would build websites and then they would tell their visitors to check out other "cool" sites and they would link to these sites. This is the process of natural linking and it still goes on. If you really have good content, people will link to you without letting you know. Similarly, if your name is Bob Dylan and your website is www.bobdylan.com, thousands of people will link to you without you having to send a cheesy email begging for a link.

Various government agencies, educational institutions, established companies and anyone else who is "big" in the "real world" is likely to also be big on the Internet simply by virtue of their previous fame and accomplishment. Google's ranking system took this into consideration and this is one of the reasons why Google is currently the number one search engine. It gives better results and that is why people use it.

But, does that mean that only the big players can be seen on the net? Far from it. While there is a difference between one guy working in his house with one computer and a corporate giant with a whole staff, and this is indeed reflected in rankings, the Internet provides a much leveler playing field than in yesteryear. Prior to 1995, it would have been very hard for someone to spread their news and views far and wide as bloggers do today. It costs millions of dollars to publish a daily newspaper or to print and circulate a magazine, but it costs far less to publish a website or a blog, and lots of "little guys" have taken advantage of the power of the Internet.

But what about PageRank, how much of it do I really need to get my site noticed? For those who are not familiar with the PageRank system. Google supplies a tool bar which you can download and install on your browser. If you make a complete installation with all the advanced features, then every time you open a new website you will see a green and white bar with the label PageRank. Put your mouse on the bar and you will see a number from 0 to 10. If a website is not indexed by Google or banned by Google, the bar may be grey or all white.

But what do the numbers mean? I had a client who was worried about his number 3 PageRank figure and based on my observation I answered him with my unofficial view on the rankings. Here is how I currently see it:

PageRank 0-2 shows that a site does not have many links and needs work, However, and this a big "however," it may not really affect your search engine rankings. I have a client with a page rank of 2 and his site ranks well, even number one, for several search terms in a fairly competitive industrial category. So PageRank is not everything; it may have an impact on your rankings and traffic, but in some cases it may not matter. In any case if you have a PageRank of 0-2, you can work on it through proper link building activity which I will explain at the end of the article.

PageRank 3 can be OK in some cases but in highly competitive industries you should work to improve it.

PageRank 4 is quite a normal number and indicates that you have enough links in either quantity or quality to make your site competitive.

PageRank 5 indicates that a site has many links or links from authoritative sites, and that Google has good "trust" in the site. It is a respectable and attainable PageRank.

PageRank 6 is very difficult to attain. This rank indicates that the site has many links and links from respected places. Remember the example of www.bobdylan.com, which I mentioned above; it has a PageRank 6, so you can get an idea of the difficulty involved.

PageRank 7-10 is usually earned by large and established institutions or websites which have tremendous authority, due to the quantity and quality of the incoming links. It is extremely difficult to attain this ranking. You really have to be special to get it.

So, don't worry excessively about PageRank. First look at your traffic, then look at your sales and finally at your bottom line. They are the important numbers to watch. If you want to increase your traffic and also PageRank, then here are a few steps that you can take:

1. Add content to your website. Make your website so good and so useful that people will link to you without you asking for a link.

2. Write articles and get them published on other websites and blogs with a link back to your site.

3. Distribute online press releases

4. Judiciously exchange links, or even better, exchange content (containing links back to your site) with other websites.

5. Get your site listed in online directories.

These efforts will certainly help you to build targeted traffic, and they most probably will also help you to increase your PageRank as well.

from http://www.sitepronews.com (by e-mail Newsletter!)

Introduction

Where do you rank on the World Wide Web? It's not enough to have a website; you have to get ranked on the first page to get noticed. Otherwise, holding your position at number 28,432 on Google isn't going to do you much good. Chëck out some easy ways to improve your page rank and get yourself noticed.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures that your website copy is written and structured in a way that improves chances that your website will be found when someone performs a search. For example, if your company sells insurance, you'd use words or phrases such as life insurance, insurance quote, insurance agent, or home insurance.

Content

Write articles that grab the interest of readers right now. Include case studies and whitepapers on your site that will give your visitors a reason to always come back. Or even chëck out what's going on in the news and be there first to report changes that impact your industry. For example, if you sell mortgagës, be the first one to report the drop in mortgagë rates. You'll generate a lot of traffíc and íncrease your ranking. Remember, time is of the essence. If you find out something new and hot, you should write about it before your competition does!

Search engine spiders are looking for sites that are periodically updated with rich content. Do not offër content that isn't useful. Some people try to place content that is rich in keywords but doesn't offër the incoming traffíc anything beneficial. Low traffíc will equal lower rankings with top search engines. The idea behind rich content with specific keywords is that because you keep posting content, soon you will be ranked within the search engines for specific words. So, when I post articles about the different insurance rates and options, etc.; when an on-line visitor is searching for this info they will land on your site and may become potential clients.

Content must be used to provide new and interesting information that your reader wants to know about, offër helpful tips, or solve a problem. This content will get you link-backs which are excellent for driving traffíc. You can also post articles through authentic submission sites, and that will also generate a lot of traffíc. Many companies publish with different online magazines etc., not only to prove their expertise but also to gain more traffíc linking to their sites.

Offër Resources

Offër resources that will help your reader. For instance, if you are an insurance agent, and you want to attract new clients, offër a comparison chart of all the insurance agencies in the area so your user can make an objective decision. At first, it seems like the insurance company is driving business away that way. Not so. If you offër your users resources that benefit them, they will come back for more when they are searching again.

Link It Up

Linking to other websites is a great way to íncrease your page ranking. Linking to other websites raises credibility in the eyes of the search engines. Who should you link to? Provide links to websites that offër a similar product or service as you do, or websites that are industry related. A spa can link to its beauty suppliers, for example. Ask them if they will provide a link to your website, and remember to offër to link to theirs in return. You can also submít articles to directories or credible article submission websites to gain links. Good articles and resources will get you bookmarked and potentially linked to by other users.

Include a Site Map

Generate a site map that links to every page in your site. Search engines like pages that can be accessed easily, so make sure your important pages remain in the first or second level.

Make Changes

Every month or two go back and update or make changes to your website. If you let it become stale, the search engines will toss you out like yesterday's news. Update it to generate new interest. Another great way is to add a daily blog. This will ensure that your content is updated daily and stays fresh.

Live Bookmarks

Updates happen all the time. A live bookmark keeps track of updates and lets you know that information has changed, rather than you checking to see if websites have made additions. By providing live bookmarks, you are increasing your traffíc and ranking because people will come back to you sooner, and more often.

RSS Feeds

Create an RSS Feed. RSS or Rich Site Syndication is a file format used by publishers to make their content available to others in a format that is universal. RSS is a way to publish content and update it in real time. This gives the user the opportuníty access information through an RSS reader.

Targeted Headlines

A clear, targeted headline will nudge your ranking a little higher. Use large text and words that relate to your website. For example, if you are a content developer, you could write a headline like: "Ten Quick Tips For Killer Copy."