Last month in our Advanced SEO series, we explored different types of searches and spiders, and how their "learned" behaviors affect your website's exposure. As we delve further in this issue, we'll examine Google's PageRank algorithm piece by piece and shed light on how to best perform within its system.
PageRank is Google's trademarked weighting system that assigns numeric value to web pages, indicating the measure of its relative "importance" within a set of pages by analyzing a multitude of variables. Until recently, Google's algorithm contained over 128 variables to determine PageRank, and with its new universal search function, it now contains over 200 (such as keyword densities, number of backlinks, age of the domain, keywords in the page's URL, H1 tags, title tags, comment tags...to name a very few).
Google examines the entire link structure of the web and determines which pages are most important, then performs hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, Google is able to put the most relevant and reliable results first. This can likely be attributed to adding engagement objects such as social media, video, news, etc. into the organic results pages.
The PageRank scale runs from 1-10 with pages earning points to cross each numeric level or threshold, but is a logarithmic scale (much like the Richter Scale for earthquakes). In other words, each successive level is an order of magnitude higher than the previous one. As such, the number of points needed to achieve level 6 is many times more than the points needed for level 5. Additionally, PageRank (PR) is "passed" via links to other pages. Each time it is passed it loses 15% of its points. The basic algorithm is as follows:
In simpler terms, the amount of PageRank points assigned to any given page is a factor of how many pages link to that page, how much PageRank value they contain, and how many out links exist on those pages. Using this formula, if you buy a link from a site that has a page rank 8, but has ten links on that page, you can calculate the amount of PageRank that will be passed as follows: .85( 8/10) = .68. If the same page had only five links (including ours) then it would be .85(8/5) = 1.36. This has substantial implications for determining what sites you'll want links from, as well as how to structure internal website links—being deliberate and judicious about your choices is key.
Also remember that link building is a continuous process that will never end. The page rank scale grows as the number of pages on the Internet grows, so it's crucial to regularly evaluate and adjust your PageRank. The scale can change leaving you at a lower number simply because you did not keep up with the overall growth of the Internet.
Google has become much faster at identifying and filtering spam—and the definition of "spam" is continuously evolving. Whereas previously a new spam tactic could take months to be discovered, it now takes only days, diminishing the return on investment for developing spam tactics to a point of unprofitability. Google generally filters anything that is deemed to be deceptive, including:
Duplicate content is not spam unless it's deceptive, so it's acceptable to have duplicate content as long as it is managed properly. For example, if an article is published to your site and also is distributed to other sites, the distributed article should be truncated, so Google will index the one that is located on your site (the home site)—the same goes for RSS feeds. Also, duplicate content on separate country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) is perfectly acceptable and reasonable. To aggregate content and maintain PR, canonical 301 redirects (a permanent redirect instructing a browser or spider that the site or page it is accessing has moved permanently, then immediately redirecting that page to the new one) should be used.
Google is now, or soon will be, including what are known as "Engagement Objects" ™, in the search engine results pages (SERPs). These include items such as: images, videos, flash movies, MP3, news/blog posts, books, and maps. These will be displayed depending on the search term and the volume of searches related to a particular subject—you might think of it as the search term's "popularity." For example, if many people are searching for a particular image, the image results will appear at the top of the organic listing for that particular key word (the same is true for videos and other search topics). Google is also including expandable results using an AJAX function when the site is considered an authority on the topic. In penning this article, we searched for "Superb Internet" and saw this effect, as we are obviously an authority on this topic.
Note: Local listings are also included where appropriate but use an entirely different system for displaying these results, largely based on geography and requiring address verification.
While increasing in importance, and also soon to be displayed in the universal search results, social media posts will be very fleeting, and will require constant updates and management to stay in search listings. The jury is still out on whether they will drive significant traffic via search engines. This is scheduled to happen in the Caffeine update (Google's new web indexing system called, which the company says will provide 50% fresher results for web searches) later this year, but may be rolled out in Europe first.
It's important to be familiar with Google's PageRank algorithms as well as staying current with the evolution of its technology. As the undisputed leader in search and advertising technologies, Google's algorithm is THE standard in measuring your site's presence and performance.
In our next issue, we'll wrap up our series with an in-depth look at the role HTML plays in SEO and how to employ the best tactics to ensure you're maximizing your SEO strategy.
Questions? Want to know more? Contact Dale Bunten, Director of Marketing at Superb Internet (dbunten@superb.net). Dale has 11 years of experience in Search Engine Optimization and PPC marketing for highly competitive keyword terms. He is a frequent speaker on SEO as well as various other Internet marketing topics and issues.
Malware is listed as the #1 threat to information security in 2010 by Network Security Edge.
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We are proud to welcome the Superb Bird of Paradise, who we adopted at the Honolulu Zoo, into our family. He may not be much help with Web hosting or managing servers, but he certainly lives up to his name with his unique vibrant coloring and equally inimitable "dance," made famous in the Discovery Channel's ground-breaking Planet Earth series.
Since we opened our doors in 1996, we've always promoted eco-responsibility in our offices and data centers, which not only helps protect the Earth's natural resources, but allows us to pass energy-cost savings on to our customers. In supporting our local conservation efforts, we were thrilled about the opportunity to adopt the aptly-named Superb Bird of Paradise right here in Hawaii—one of only five sites nationwide where Birds of Paradise are exhibited. You can find out more (and see photos and videos) here.
Udaya heads up all facilities, operations, and vendor relations-related functions at Superb's largest data center in McLean, VA. If he's not at DCA2, you might find him tending to his garden, listening to an eclectic variety of music, or riding his bike. Below, we get Udaya to take a break from ensuring our network is in tip-top condition and chat with us:
How'd you get into the hosting industry?
I'm originally from Nepal—the land of Buddha!—where there weren't very many people involved in the IT industry. But I came to Washington D.C. for college and got my bachelors degree in Management Information Systems, and having worked part time in a computer lab as well as in databases, I fell into the field.
And now you're a bona fide veteran—you've been with Superb for nearly 10 years?
Yes, since 2000. It's still fresh and exciting—I like the openness of possibilities and the new challenges of each day. I have a chance to make a positive difference in the company's performance and growth every day.
What's your current favorite technology (gadget, software, etc.)?
I really appreciate how innovative Apple is. The iPad, for example, is a game-changer, and it's a great example of how the company evolves, and remains cutting-edge and relevant.
Lastly, now that World Cup fever has subsided, does it feel like something's "missing?"
I'm a soccer fan—I grew up playing soccer in Nepal so I'm definitely into the sport. And even if we have to wait another four years for the next World Cup, I'll be following MLS—DC United is my favorite team!
We've welcomed aboard two new members to our Creative team in Honolulu (HNL1)—Sungmin Choe and Janette Council. With a diverse background in multi-media art, Sung joins the team as a graphic designer. Janette is a seasoned designer with a concentration in Web, with more than a decade of experience in a variety of industries, including retail, government, and consumer services.
