- Sep 27, 2012
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- 519
According to our sources and corroborated by Search Engine Land, and The SEM Post, Google has confirmed that it is removing ToolBar PageRank.
You may have noticed that your Google PageRank is showing as unavailable, if not yet, it soon will. This removal will be a process that spreads over the coming weeks, slowly beginning to not show any data at all. This removal however, appears to only affect the external PageRank system, as it is understood Google will continue using PageRank in their internal algorithm.
As reported on The SEM Post, a spokesperson from Google has confirmed this removal, whilst also commenting that it is still used internally; "Yes, PageRank is still used in our algorithms, among a number of other signals."
Although, did we really not see this coming? Google has, after all, neglected the PageRank score for years. The only thing to worry about, is whether or not the removal of legacy PageRank from public view, will have any effect on our websites?
The answer, is no; according to the Google spokesperson who told The SEM Post:
"No, this update does not change anything for webmasters or SEOs in how their sites show up in search. Webmasters can use Search Console to get details about their content's presence in Google Search, including information about links pointing to their sites. As the Internet and our understanding of the Internet have grown in complexity, the Toolbar PageRank score has become less useful to users as a single isolated metric. Retiring the PageRank display from Toolbar helps avoid confusing users and webmasters about the significance of the metric."
This calls into question, why has Google decided to remove it after all these years of letting the PageRank sit aimlessly on our Toolbars?
There are multiple of issues associated with PageRank, one of which was that users were experiencing difficulties when transferring from http to https. As a result, they were losing their legacy PageRank as it wouldn't transfer to the new URL.
Also, for those who are selling links based on what PR value the page has will be affected, as it lessens the value of the page value. This metric, therefore, shouldn't be used anymore with the removal of PageRank.
All in all, its best to say your goodbyes now, and make peace with the slow disappearance of Google's Toolbar PageRank. But fear not there's always the alphabet soup of DA's and PA's to fall back on, authority and intent, social and local signals, and Cagney and Lacey ( .... ok the last one is just showing my age) .
In short does a page / domain that yesterday had a high PR suddenly become valueless? No ofcourse not but how long, considering the years that PR hasn't been updated, can you rely on PR when building your links?
What's next?
What metric are YOU going to use to base where you search for links? What really matters to you?
Click here for TheSEMPost article.
Click here for the Search Engine Land article.
Note from June 2016 PR will no longer be an acceptable metric to use when selling on the marketplace. It's already outdated this is the final nail in the coffin.
You may have noticed that your Google PageRank is showing as unavailable, if not yet, it soon will. This removal will be a process that spreads over the coming weeks, slowly beginning to not show any data at all. This removal however, appears to only affect the external PageRank system, as it is understood Google will continue using PageRank in their internal algorithm.
As reported on The SEM Post, a spokesperson from Google has confirmed this removal, whilst also commenting that it is still used internally; "Yes, PageRank is still used in our algorithms, among a number of other signals."
Although, did we really not see this coming? Google has, after all, neglected the PageRank score for years. The only thing to worry about, is whether or not the removal of legacy PageRank from public view, will have any effect on our websites?
The answer, is no; according to the Google spokesperson who told The SEM Post:
"No, this update does not change anything for webmasters or SEOs in how their sites show up in search. Webmasters can use Search Console to get details about their content's presence in Google Search, including information about links pointing to their sites. As the Internet and our understanding of the Internet have grown in complexity, the Toolbar PageRank score has become less useful to users as a single isolated metric. Retiring the PageRank display from Toolbar helps avoid confusing users and webmasters about the significance of the metric."
This calls into question, why has Google decided to remove it after all these years of letting the PageRank sit aimlessly on our Toolbars?
There are multiple of issues associated with PageRank, one of which was that users were experiencing difficulties when transferring from http to https. As a result, they were losing their legacy PageRank as it wouldn't transfer to the new URL.
Also, for those who are selling links based on what PR value the page has will be affected, as it lessens the value of the page value. This metric, therefore, shouldn't be used anymore with the removal of PageRank.
All in all, its best to say your goodbyes now, and make peace with the slow disappearance of Google's Toolbar PageRank. But fear not there's always the alphabet soup of DA's and PA's to fall back on, authority and intent, social and local signals, and Cagney and Lacey ( .... ok the last one is just showing my age) .
In short does a page / domain that yesterday had a high PR suddenly become valueless? No ofcourse not but how long, considering the years that PR hasn't been updated, can you rely on PR when building your links?
What's next?
What metric are YOU going to use to base where you search for links? What really matters to you?
Click here for TheSEMPost article.
Click here for the Search Engine Land article.
Note from June 2016 PR will no longer be an acceptable metric to use when selling on the marketplace. It's already outdated this is the final nail in the coffin.
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