Why watching the PageRank meter is addictive
Posted by multippt
Google PageRank is a big hit amongst webmasters. Despite its importance having downgraded over the years, it is still tempting to look at the PageRank meter in the Google toolbar (especially when the meter is just right in front of you).
Addictive PageRank
It’s a rating
Ratings always invoke competition. It’s a known rule. Google PageRank is a rating. While visible PageRank at times is found to not influence rankings much, people can’t get over watching the PageRank of their site. Why? It’s competition. A PageRank unit that is 1 up higher than competitors gives indefinate bragging rights (until competitors reach the same or better PageRanks) and a sense of “authority”, even if it makes little difference in search rankings.
In addition, it’s all about first impressions. Most people get the idea that a high enough rating exposed to almost all users using the Google toolbar is a nice way of enticing some users to stay. Well, the sad fact is that not many would look at PageRank when determining a stay in a site.
It’s because it’s Google
Having a site better than you in any possible ways imaginable rate you is certainly a major reason why PageRank is a much sort after rating. Google is authority. Authority controls what you think, and PageRank makes any site look as important or unimportant as Google wants.
A “side-effect” is that Google gets to make webmasters follow its guidelines. (Remember the last PageRank update in October that nuked the PageRank of numberous established sites?)
It is affected by what you do
PageRank seemingly increases with more stuff that you do (provided Google approves of it). So, PageRank is seen as an indicator to how much work you have put into your site. A higher PageRank is a sense of achievement to some, because it seems as though as you have done a ton of work just to get a increase in 1 or 2 units.
PageRank is difficult to score at
Some webmasters will do anything to get a higher than average PageRank (differs across opinion, but is approximately at above 4). Well, some. Getting a high PageRank is an incredible task, thanks to the exponential properties of PageRank which makes scoring lower PageRanks several times easier than higher ones. Though, scoring on PageRank is not neccessary for a site to be “successful”.
It updates “once in every while”
Long updates make waiting for it to happen worthwhile. PageRank updates are getting more irratic, going from 1 month updates to 3 month updates to well, 4-6 month ones. During the moment of silence between updates, most webmasters see this as an opportunity to build up on their site for the next PageRank update to come (sort of like preparing a ritual to satisfy a god).
Stop looking at the PR meter
PageRank affects search rankings. But, PageRank is not the only one affecting rankings; there are tons of other factors that affect search rankings more than PageRank. The value of PageRank has downgraded compared to years ago, so most people will say PageRank is “overrated” anyway. Yes, PageRank is nice, but what’s the original idea of PageRank? Search rankings. What’s the original idea of search rankings? Traffic. So, focus more on traffic of your site than PageRank.
