Google Page Rank Update Unfavorable to Legit Sites
The latest Google Page Rank update proved extremely unfavorable to legitimate sites and blogs. Even the Page Ranks of top bloggers like John Chow and legit news sites providing us quality, relevant and original materials got slapped.
May site owners can only complain. Indeed, how can Google possibly determine the “worth” of a site or page on the internet? The algorithm disclosed in Wikipedia.org doesn’t seem to fit in to real world cases of assigning page ranks.
Based on the algorithm, page rank is calculated primarily on the merits of links a site or page is linked to. However, other variables like I discussed before could affect this. One of the popular notions is that accepting reviews for companies can hurt your page rank. Some experts claim that interlinking pages in your site can do some damage to your page rank. Others say when you have too much volume of duplicate contents in your site. But in my view, these are all speculations up to this writing although in some cases, these could be valid reasons. However, there is a long-standing debate over these reasons which cast doubts on their validity.
For my take, here are the reasons:
- Blogs that are intrinsically-designed to make money by accepting reviews are given high page ranks. Sites that do not accept review jobs got de-ranked.
- Sites that have low-quality inbound links increased in page ranks despite the fact the sites linking to them did not enjoy any increase.
- Sites that have been dormant for months (without updates) increased in page rank.
- Sites that do not have good traffic increased in page rank.
These are only some of the reasons why Page Rank is overrated as claimed by fellow bloggers and internet experts. It seems that the undisclosed portion of the algorithm (if there really is) can cause so much trouble especially to bloggers who make money online with his site’s Page Rank as the primary qualification in taking a review jobs.
Why do I doubt the new Page Rank algorithm (because allegedly, Google changed it’s most recent algorithm)? I’m a mathematician/programmer, that’s why. Algorithms, like any other simple mathematical formula should yield the same results for all the possible values taken as variables to compute the final output. In layman’s tongue, the computation of the Page Rank seems to be different when applied to different sites. The formula used for Site A seems to be different from that used in Site B. This is the conclusion that I have observed after having seen so many legit site owners yell for having their sites’ PR’s demoted. On the other hand, site owners who have known from the start that they have violated Google’s policies in relation to conferring a Page Rank are happy to know that their sites indeed got a page rank! What an irony, if we may call it such.
Some of my experiences even suggest that scraper sites (those that steal your contents and post them on their site without even citing you as the rightful author) got high Page Ranks. If you have a victim of plagiarism (like this author) then maybe you have to check the plagiarist’s site. If you have more than one copycat, I’m sure you’ll see some of those copycats’ sites increase in page rank. Take it from me. Now, how damaging can this be? Simple. The original author has everything to lose but the copycat has everything to gain. The original author will also be penalized by google for duplicate contents. Call it poetic online justice which doesn’t benefit at all times the real victim.
Lastly, I kept thinking maybe my friends were right in giving me their thoughts that maybe, just maybe, I should have struck the iron while it was hot. Maybe I should have grabbed all the high-paying opps at P-P-P when I had the chance. However, as a writer, I just can’t seem to tolerate transforming this blog into a money blog. My perspective on things can change but money involved in blogging is still not my thing. I still opt-in to write good, long and maybe boring articles designed to educate, enlighten and guide readers who need them.
While it’s true I’m not conscious about Page Ranks and my readers (like you reading this) could still be around, this site losing it’s page rank is only a signal that I will be a poorer blogger from now on (lol!).
This incident of losing a page rank is in no way a hindrance to providing readers with good reads. In fact, readers of this blog are the inspiration behind my articles. I can’t possibly continue blogging without readers for simple reasons. For one, I can give up blogging anytime I want and for another, I love my readers who have always been active in discussions and have shown so much support to this blogger for the past few months of this blog’s existence.
RELATED POSTS:
- Google Page Rank Update
- Did Google Strip Off Your Page Rank Sooner than Expected?
- The (Google) Empire Strikes Back
- Understanding Your Technorati Rank
- Understanding Your Alexa Rank
well said my friend! just like what i have written in my blog that my blogs life must go on – PR or no PR. similarly with your situation, i think i don’t need a PR to have friends or even readers. even if i don’t have PR, i still have requests for exchange links and in the end making more friends. well, it’s true that i have lesser opps because i have no page rank but i was thinking that i can make money in other ways aside from reviews. but hey, i won’t deny that i still want a page rank for my blog but i will not expect anymore soon…just expect the worst but hope for the better! (gesh…am i making a comment or a post here…hehehe…i hope you don’t mind my friend)
Pinay Mommy’s last blog post..Mommy Juliana is Generous
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Shanker Bakshi reply on March 8th, 2008:
It seems you are working hard to make your PR up.Google PageRank update always brought storm in blogsphere. There were 4700 blog posts written on PageRank last week.
As you can see Here
Shanker Bakshi’s last blog post..Miscellaneous Ramblings of a dot Com Guru 5 March 2008
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hey jesie, your articles are never boring. in fact I find myself hanging out here longer than I have to.
joy’s last blog post..Working from home with a toddler Part II
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I wrote an entry similar to yours this morning. Mine is new and have few indexed pages but my other blogs got the slap.
ceblogger’s last blog post..Page Rank Update
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Totoo yan kuya, super overrated and PR. When our site was given a PR4 last January when it was just a month old, I was told by an SEO expert friend that the Google update might just not be that stable yet, so I was told to savor the moment and I did grab many opportunities and I did seize the moment with our pockets full.(lol!)
Anyway, when we lost our PR4 more than a month after, it was somehow expected. But imagine my disgust with Google when one of my sites was given a PR2, when the majority of its postings were paid ones. See how unreliable they give out their rankings! It’s a total joke! It’s funny even how we all bloggers even give it an inch of value. But it’s the way it is, Google is the internet god. Adverts give opportunities to blogs with high rankings.
So, as expected before I got my “so it goes…” site into PPP, I typed in one regular article after another, just to cover up that it was there for paid postings. Now, I’m back in business. lol! But of course, I wouldn’t know for how long.
Just a thought, before that site got a PR2, the paid ads I have there were all from sponsoredreviews. Maybe now that I’m doing opps for PPP, they’ll get it slapped. I don’t really care. Google has lost its credibility when in comes to PR. It’s an overrated thing that we bloggers are expected to mull over. I’m sorry but I’m not giving Google that satisfaction. lol!
I happen to believe that as bloggers, we are the boss of our own blogs and I won’t be dictated by Google or whoever it is who’s trying to play god over my own site or the global internet. I will have it the way I want it.
Jennie’s last blog post..A Car Loan Deal for the Family
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Don’t worry kuya jess pr or no pr, i know you’ll be able to maintain your readership. don’t get discouraged in blogging..coz i think the blogosphere needs writers like you! i just hope that scrapers could be lessened because they could add to the frustration. Although, I know you won’t get frustrated…you’re way better than them anyway!
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yeah right manong Jess, just keep writing, with or without PR..kac ng dahil sa tulad mo, nahahasa ang utak ng mga readers mo.. =)
twerlyn’s last blog post..PT (Positive)
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Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about it. As much as all of us hate it, The Big G can, and has all the right to manipulate all the sites.
Besides, PR is not that all important anymore like how it used to before.. Quality content is what matters.
Devilicious’s last blog post..Moving On..
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Ha!!! Nag-release na ng PR ang Google? Nakow, ano na kaya PR ko. Do you mean, you lost your PR? That is outrageous! How could it be? Ang dami ko tanong. Nakapagtataka kasi.
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relax…. you lost your PR but you still have “us” –your loyal readers.
we’ll surely keep coming back for new reads here in your blog.
cheers!
vienna’s last blog post..What’s Stopping You?
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I wasn’t too shocked when I received your SMS telling me you lost your PR4, Kuya. I saw it coming but to be honest, I was still hoping GOd G would be credible enough and leave off this site from it’s PR slapping attack. But very disppointing! Such terrific reads should have spared you but we now know, PR updates are not as credible as we used to believe.
Yes, we could gain big bucks with a high PR but I agree with you when you told me you wouldn’t want this site get abused just because of posting paid articles. I keep coming and hanging out here longer than I usually spend with other sites because I learn a lot from the posts that I know you really took the effort in doing.
Anyways, I know your readership wouldn’t be that affected, Kuya. Keep posting those nice and interesting reads… Cheer up! Diba sabi mo pogi ka pa rin kahit walang pera, bwahahahahahahhahahaha!
Scotty’s Princess’s last blog post..“Whites Are Afraid To Commit…”
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Shanker Bakshi reply on March 8th, 2008:
Is it so, ohh hell PR then, This blog is above PAGRRANK, Technorati rank and alexa Rank, there is so much to learn from this blog. Keep Rocking Jessie.
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Hahahaha..Absolutely right Ellaine..Three of my blogs got PR and I don’t post paid adds and links to it. Let’s see if katagalan mawawala rin ba. Yung isa na rarely and paid link binalik ang PR. Pero pagkawala ng PR mo kakaiba..Don’t they see what have you here? Haha title ng blog mo Jess.
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Google is a moving target, you never know what tomorrow will be. Once favoring blogs, that has changed. Anyway, no one should focus on PR, because PR is just an indicator and doesn’t make your blog rank high.
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Shanker Bakshi reply on March 8th, 2008:
But it mean everything when you sell ads on your blog or someone try to buy paid link from you.
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Hi Jessie,
I received an anonymous comment today about Google targeting sites that have PPP banners and whose posts contain the widget “Sponsored by payperpost” As you mentioned, such sites are punished by Google in terms of lowered PR. And the Commenter asked me to remove the banner.
I started looking for some answers to this commenter’s statement and I remembered you from Reward Rebels comment page. True enough, you have the answers right here! I also saw your avatar on my page but figured it must have something to do with Entrecard. Some coincidence huh?:-)
I’m thankful for the anonymous comment but will removing the banner work? How about the post that has the “sponsored by” widget, just bury it in several other posts?
I was not bored at all and I’m thinking I should have blogrolled this site a long time ago. Well, it’s not too late I guess. Thanks. I’ll be back, definitely. –Durano, done!
durano lawayan’s last blog post..Bout Busted in Bangkok
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PR or no PR kuya jess you’re still one great blogger and writer and yon ang importante. I’m still a newbie so i don’t really mind what PR is all about. Am blogging coz I enjoy it and getting paid is just an extra thing. For sure your readers will still keep coming back kuya jess.
twinks’s last blog post..Tagalog Rant: Kasarap Apakan Din!
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Losing your PR is really unfair coz your one of the best blogger I’ve encountered here… In fact, di ka mapagsamantala, kaming mga friends mo pa nga nagdedemonyo sayo na accept mo na mga OPPS syo pero may paninindigan ka Master which makes us more proud of YOU… yaan mo sila with PR or no PR, di nababawasan mga fans mo, infact since nangyari youn observe ko lalong tumaas traffic mo hehehhe….
bregie’s last blog post..dubai city at night
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Kuya, like what Rj said, PR or no PR, we would still often visit your site because of its content. Your posts are really informative and that’s what I am after whenever I visit here.
elaine’s last blog post..Blogger’s Dilemma
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I have read a lot of complains and unhappy bloggers. Good PR or bad PR, there are still other ranks… so lets not loose hope. maybe in time google would fix the concern of many site admins and bloggers
thanks for the information jess ^__^
Tessa’s last blog post..EntreCard: Drop EC’s As Easy As 1 2 3
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Hi Jessie!
Kasta nga talaga ti biag, lalo ditoy blogging world. Di mo nga maibaga no kaano da ka nga ikkan ti PR ken no kaano da ibabawi. Cheer up my friend, at least you still have a PR2 left. Mine was dropped to zero from PR3. But at least I striked while the iron was hot. For a month I made almost $900 when I still have my PR. I still will come here and read your posts. You’re a great blogger and I enjoyed reading your entries.
Lisa’s last blog post..Welcome Signs
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