PageRank™ vs. SE Ranking
It's time to improve your link popularity! Or Is It?

You've spent the last few months optimizing your web site. You did your homework and learned all about optimizing techniques for your web page. Your relevant keywords are prominently placed in all the right places on your pages. Yet your site still isn't ranking the way you want. What do you do? Improve Link Popularity, right?

Wrong. Well, partly. By popular belief, "if you don't have links, you won't rank well for competitive keywords." This is simply not entirely true. [example]

While link popularity and link quality are important as part of the ranking algorithms, they are NOT a guarantee of high ranking. Linking Popularity constitutes a much smaller slice of the ranking pie as in the past.

Why? Because like all other great marketing tactics - they are abused. People started to "buy" their way to a higher PageRank™. And this works.

But, If this tactic was all it took to better rankings, then people could simply "buy" their way to the top.

And that's exactly what people believe. Higher ranking sites sell links for up to $1000/month and more. Link buyers saw their PageRank™ soar! The all powerful Green Bar had everyone obsessed.

Let's take an example.

OneWay Advertising [onewayadv.com] has 357 back links in Google. Most of these backlinks are internal or clients - ranging from flowers and toys to flyfishing.

According to "Link Popularity Guidelines" these links are of little value to OneWay as far as PageRank™ - and that is correct. OneWay only commands a 5 / 10 for a Google PageRank™ .

So, OneWay should rank poorly in the Search Engines, right? Wrong. PageRank™ and Ranking are two completely different things.

OneWay Advertising has always focused on keyterms pertinent to their site content, such as, Christian Marketing, Christian Graphic Design, Christian Internet Marketing. They continually add new content and helful tips for their visitors. And the results? Top ten in all. In fact, #1 for the past 2 years for Christian Marketing.

To improve your ranking, you need good content and a quality site. Higher PageRank™ is misrepresented that the site has a lot of good content. While true, the higher PageRank™ may have just been "purchased", and not earned.

Sites that rank well in Search Engines for the most part have earned it. Sure, there are people who constantly try to "trick" their way to the top - and are successful at it - for a time. Thus the reason the Search Engines are constantly changing - to combat the misuse of the purpose of their site.

So don't obsess about the "little green bar" - and focus on building a Solid foundation on Rock. Find a Marketing expert that not only understands the constantly changing Search Engine market, but presents you with a game plan for the future, inclusive of ALL marketing avenues. This will ensure your business success on the web.

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Related Articles:

• Building Link Popularity
• The All Powerful Link Myth