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Service-Check you Google Ranking
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One of the more important tasks in relation to
search engine indices involves the keeping this
content fresh and up to date. To accomplish
this, search engines have developed a number of
procedures designed to refresh and update their
respective databases. In all likelihood, the
most popular of these events has to be when
Google performs a backlink and PageRank update,
which happens throughout the year at determined
intervals.
Editor's Note:
It's that time again. The time where Google can
cause increased levels of panic of happiness.
Yes, I'm talking about another PageRank/backlink
update, an exercise that always causes the SEO
world to sit-up and take notice. How did this
update affect you? Discuss at
WebProWorld.
 Because
the different types of backlinks pointing at a
site directly affect PageRank, these updates
tend to go hand-in-hand; and while these events
may not generate the excitement they once did,
the search engine optimization community does
take notice when Google carries out these
updates. For those who may not be aware, Google
uses PageRank to provide a type of "quality
score" for web pages in their index.
In order to view the PageRank of web page, you
have to have the
Google Toolbar installed. The toolbar
contains a PageRank score, provided in the form
of a green bar, for each page being visited.
PageRank measures on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10
(a full green bar) being the highest.
As mentioned, because backlinks play such an
important part with PR scores, these types of
updates usually take place at the same time. A
backlink update is where Google actively revises
the amount of links pointing to a site, while
discounting links they consider to be old and/or
aged. Because backlinks are considered such a
valuable commodity, whenever an update is being
conducted, those who depend on search as a key
component of their ecommerce lives watch the
results with loads of interest.
One of the standard practices when a backlink
update is being conducted is to visit the
various Google datacenters and perform backlink
checks on their site in order to see if there
have been any drastic changes. According to
SearchEngineRoundtable, currently, the
following Google datacenters have been affected
by these updates:
72.14.207.99
72.14.207.104
72.14.207.106
In order to see if the backlink update has
affected your site, visit any of the datacenters
(as well as the standard Google.com page) and
perform a backlink check using the following
command:
link:www.nameofsite.com
However, it is important to remember Google only
provides a cross-section of the backlinks
pointing to the site; they do not show a
comprehensive list. Be that as it may, whenever
Google issues updates affecting their search
index, people who follow-up do indeed notice
changes, especially if they are considered
negative.
A good place to follow when Google updates occur
is
WebmasterWorld. Here readers can get a good
idea how other people may have been affected by
the particular update being monitored. This is
also a great place to get tips and tricks on how
to conduct further research to see if you gained
more backlinks pointing at your site.
Fortunately, PageRank increases (or decreases)
are easier to observe thanks to the Google
Toolbar and the imbedded green PageRank score
bar.
 Another
interesting thing to do is to navigate around
and find out if any of the major sites
experienced PageRank reductions or increases,
especially with sites having a PageRank of 10.
Because of the way Google scores using PageRank,
only a certain number of sites have acquired
this score, with one of the most famous being
Apple's main site.
However, when I checked
Apple.com this morning, I noticed the
PageRank box was grayed-out; an indication the
site has no PageRank information. However, if
you navigate to the iTunes/iPod portion of the
Apple's site, the PR score is a full 10, as are
most of the sections. On the other hand, the
.Mac portion of the Apple.com has a 0 for
its PageRank score (a white PR box); although, a
quick look at the link structure of this page
may shed some light as to why:
http://www.mac.com/
Because the link structure has changed from when
the .Mac portion had a 10 ranking, it appears as
if these changes has affected the way the PR
score is being passed on to this particular
section.
All in all, this appears to be one of the milder
updates, at least reaction-wise. WebmasterWorld
has its
normal commentary, but a lot of other forums
seem to be paying only passing lip service to
the events that began over the Labor Day
weekend.
Discuss this at
WebProWorld.
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