Why does Higher Page Rank not allways give you better ranking?

[Linkster]

Well - just to confuse the issue for everyone
Maybe I ought to explain some differences here as a lot of people use two things interchangebly that really aren't the same thing

PR - as measured by the google toolbar and next to the ranked listings in the Google directory are not a visual display of a web pages "Page Rank" - they are a measure of googles little having fun wit webmasters toy

Page Rank - This is what Google really uses in its algorithm to decide where a web page should rank in the listings (SERPs) - and is based on over 100 factors from on-page things to who links to the page etc. It is also the complete basis of the whole mathematical model that the boys from Stanford wrote up back in their college days and is now called Google - and will always be the most important thing for ranking - however the importance of one of those over 100 things can be adjusted in the algorithm if Google sees fit - and they have proved that many times.

Hope I didnt confuse the issue too much

[Linkster]

Presmar - most of us when doing link trades dont even look at the toolbar anymore - as a matter of fact most dont even have it installed LOL - The nice thing about Google is that they have always rewarded sites that do what we used to call in the old days - plain ole traffic trades using hard links - they love them

[domweb]

But, but...isn't it like a penis? Bigger is better? Right?

I think people rely on it so much because it is the only easily quantifiable number that seems to show how important the page is.

SERPs are a concept that is harder to comprehend and harder still to measure easily.

Until a webmaster gets a good education from message boards and the like, he/she is going focus on something with a name like PageRank. I know I did. (I used to keep track of my Alexa ratings too).

[Linkster]

Originally Posted by domweb

I think people rely on it so much because it is the only easily quantifiable number that seems to show how important the page is.

I agree that they do - I only try to preach that they shouldnt because it doesnt even represent page rank anymore - it has nothing whatsoever to do with rank for anything - its just a nice green bar that Google will randomly assign a number to now - Ive seen guys show up with a PR8 on that indicator starting a site from scratch - and think that they have some huge accomplishment - when in reality their real PR is around 1

[Joe]

Originally Posted by Linkster

I agree that they do - I only try to preach that they shouldnt because it doesnt even represent page rank anymore - it has nothing whatsoever to do with rank for anything - its just a nice green bar that Google will randomly assign a number to now - Ive seen guys show up with a PR8 on that indicator starting a site from scratch - and think that they have some huge accomplishment - when in reality their real PR is around 1

Haha, yep, I've seen that before.

It's an old trick too, just a 301 redirect trick to get an instant PR10 for a new website.