If things keep at this pace I might rename this blog to Daily Google Tips. Over the last two weeks we have been talking about Google every other day. This time it is the PageRank buzz again.
Both Problogger and Copyblogger, two of the most popular blogs on the niche, announced that their PR dropped from 6 to 4. Previously other authority blogs confirmed that they lost PR, but the suspect was towards paid links. Given that Problogger and Copyblogger are not selling links, it might be just a readjustment on the PR scale.
Some people are arguing that since the PR drop is not generalized, it must be a slap from Google due to practices that conflict with its guidelines. Andy Beard suggested that the sites that got penalized were either selling links or exchanging them inside large blog networks. This is a feasible explanation given that most of the Weblogs, Inc blogs (Engadget above all) were penalized, and they do not sell paid links either.
Here is a list that I gathered with big blogs that supposedly lost PR on this issue:
- Statcounter (from 10 to 6)
- Engadget (from 7 to 5)
- AutoBlog (from 6 to 4)
- Problogger (from 6 to 4)
- Copyblogger (from 6 to 4)
- AdesBlog (from 7 to 5)
- Search Engine Journal (from 7 to 4)
- Quick Online Tips (from 6 to 3)
- Search Engine Roundtable (from 7 to 4)
- Blog Herald (from 6 to 4)
- Weblog Tools Collection (from 6 to 4)
- JohnTP (from 6 to 4)
- Coolest Gadgets (from 5 to 3)
- CyberNet News (from 6 to 4)
Update: It looks like mainstream websites that were selling links were also penalized:
- Washington Post (from 7 to 5)
- Washington Times (from 6 to 4)
- Charlotte Observer (from 6 to 4)
- Forbes.com (from 7 to 5)
- SFGate.com (from 7 to 5)
- Sun Times (from 7 to 5)
- New Scientist (from 7 to 5)
- Seattle Times (from 6 to 4)
Update 2: After reading through the avalanche of posts on the subject, it appears that this is not a PageRank update but rather a distribution of penalties (either automatic or manual). The theory that the penalized blogs were either selling links or part of a network that used a cross-linking strategy seems to hold.
I think google is going to very strict on spammers. Thats why it is changing their algorithm often
The PR hasn’t been updated for a while now, what if google suddenly decide to drop it al together, cos when you think about it, if theres no PR, no one will buying link directly to site owner, more money for adword
All we need to do is wait for the end of this month and see the next change from Google pagerank. I think they are fair enough.
With the Google algorithm, we are not really sure on what are the legitimate actions to get the High PR. I think there are ethical ways of building high rank that will still be penalized by Google. Links are not only used to improve our PR ranks, it is also use to give useful links that will help our visitors and readers.
Building organic links is the only way to increase the pr of your website
My blog’s PR too got down from 1 to No Page Rank 🙁 Can anyone help me how to regain PR 1? Please visit my blog & suggest if my blog has some shortcomings? Is there any unusual practice that I am following. Please help!
Google are a law unto themselves and i’m sure part of why they are doing this is just to confuse everyone outside of Google.
My stuff got demoted and I wouldn’t begin to know how to do what the penalties are for. Also, the links were no good. I have no clue why. I think Google needs to be slapped. If their not going to actually check who
Google have definitely changes their rule about giving pagerank . Even my website PR came down from 4 to 1. But in the contest it didn’t affect the traffic on my site. As long as traffic doesn’t go down these new policy of giving PR is ok.
waw…this is the best blog..
I want to like you, but I just new blogger who does not know anything.
if you want to help me how to get many visitors?
Its really difficult to say that “Google Changing the PageRank Algorithm” because Google has their specific rules and regulations for such change….
But it looks really strange when you seen your PR down.
We must treat the blog as we manage a company need to have hard work on
The funny thing is, bloggers whose page ranks dropped have published posts about how Google page rank is totally irrelevant, how it didn’t affect their search engine traffic and how it didn’t impact thier revenue. Well, if Google page rank didn’t matter, why bother make a post about it.
I’m sure your blog will show a more robust ranking in the next update 🙂
Hi Friends, yesterday(23/06/2009) google update the page rank again. Please check your page ranks
Well, till now I can’t get more PR. But if google give them pinalized, is it fair enought?
Ok, so if I frequent a mom blog that put a list together of a bunch of great mom blogs to check out and a bunch of us put that on our blog, that could be why? It’s like a mom blog directory. What’s wrong with that?
I had a PR5 and google took it away because they would rather force advertisers to use their Adsense rather than web site owners advertising for them directly. Which in my opinion is a monopoly on the whole system.
PR means nothing when you think about it. If Google can manipulate the results at their whim, then what is a PR if it doesn’t really show the strength of the site?
My traffic had increased a lot since that date but I have never got my pr back even after placing no follow on all my links.
My stuff got demoted and I wouldn’t begin to know how to do what the penalties are for. Also, the links were no good. I have no clue why. I think Google needs to be slapped. If their not going to actually check who/what they are penalizing. My pages are FB and Tweet. I don’t sell anyhting.
The only reason I see for Google acting so “evil” is to force everybody, not to sell other ads on their website beside the Google ads. As you all know Google makes a lot of money from advertising and they try “to kill” all the competitors on the market.
If the people do not sell banners or links on their website because they are afraid to lose the pagerank, there is no other alternative than Adwords to promote a business on the web.
Yeah very google
sorry i m mesagges send to
Google: `You probably already know about Amazon, Engadget, Ebay, CNet, 4Chan, Wikipedia, and Jesusishitler.com; so we are going to give you results that you may not have known about, but that are equally as relevant
Thank you for this information.
This was written in 2007, has there been any fresh thinking or information on this since?
I’d be very interested in views?
Oh!
Don’t you think, Google demanding more and more efforts on websites. Its really bad. Yeah Google should change time to time but this much. nope.
Penalty or a slap on the hand, Google has to keep changing things up to keep those who are working to build their sites employed.
It must be so gutting to get a pr drop that you’ve worked so hard for. Darn you google
how often does the Google update PageRank?
Thank you for this information.
thank you for your document
More high quality links the better, but it’s very difficult to get high PR sites to link to you when they are afraid to lose their PR for doing it!
Well let me boo hoo with the rest of you. My blog was PR4 to a PR0 so there you have it. Doing the walk of shame. Until I noticed another one of my sites got a PR4 and I don’t even have content on the site. lolol
I feel better knowing regardless of what Google is doing or NOT there really isn’t one solution that makes sense. Therefore doe PR really matter? Sure if you are boasting about it, but be afraid very afraid, one day it won’t be there anymore.
Its very frustrating to see the PR drop, drop, drop Everyday morning right from bed, its a nice feeling to see the PR has gone up,up, up
If things keep at this pace I might rename this blog to Daily Google Tips. Over the last two weeks we have been talking about Google every other day
Google must not stop link selling Because google must think webmasters. Thanks a lot
Its very frustrating to see the PR drop, drop, drop… Everyday morning right from bed, its a nice feeling to see the PR has gone up,up, up…
Google is my best friend but could be my worst enemy!
We always have to abide by there rules and not put in jeopardy our sites standing in the World Wide Web. Pr is not an important factor to consider and too many people think this is the litmus test on stature. We should mark our success by the number of relevant visitors converting on our site.
Let’s get the basics right first and play by Google’s rule. If we follow there simple guidelines we should succeed in a long and happy relationship.
I have been reading your blog last couple of weeks and enjoy every bit. It’s a valuable information.
I understand that Google needs to make money, but if that is making the search results bias, it has to stop. Google needs to decide to be one of two things:
1, The peoples search engine
2, A bias but possibly more wealthy search engine
Google must not stop link selling
Because google must think webmasters
It is hard to understand the algorith how Google play with PR. But I think is more important the traffic of the site.
Thanks for valuable information about sell and buy links
I agree with Kevin… We are always so concerned about Google and our page rank. If you are a writer “focus” on your content period! I know it’s easier said than done.. But seriously stop wasting valuable time.
You should be posting on Forums, engaging in your niche market, twitter, do things that will positively affect your website. Trust me Page rank doesn’t mean sh*t if you cannot convert your users.
Look at your short term and long term goals they are basically the same. Final result is ROI and I don’t care what your page rank is if you have a valuable service your client will buy from you.
What is totally wrong, is that people (above) are removing what are in many cases legitimate links from their websites, through fear of damaging their own sites – this has to be wrong, and shows a level of influence that Google now has the content of sites and the behaviours of webmasters, which is very bad for the web………?
Google must not stop link selling
Because google must think webmasters
seams that everyone, I mean everyone, is having their websites out-page-ranked, selling or not selling links.
a google strategie to keep the webmaster’s fight on?
thank you sir
goodbye
yes, I lost my PR4 to PR0 overnight about three weeks ago. Then, it got back up again last week and a few days later dropped to 0 again – ;-( I freaking hate Google man. I am not really selling links on my blog; I only have 3 paid links that were put there just before 11/29 and my PR dropped even before that; I mostly do cross linking with my other sites.
Today Google rules, so, you better don’t sell links. it that simple.
Want to get penalized? I dont think so. 🙂
I don’t know what I did wrong. I built more backlinks at a steady pace, added useful content and my site got dropped from a PR2 to a PR1. I was honestly expecting to move up to PR3sometime this year but I guess Google is against me.
I went up one rank also.