5 replies to this topic

[blackirish.ken]

Question: In order to rise in PageRank, do you need sites of a higher PR linking to you? Or can you achieve a higher PR by getting links from sites of equal (or even lesser) PR?

I've asked fellow SEOs and the answers and opinions vary.

One side firmly believes that if you have a PR4 site, for instance, you would absolutely need links from sites of at least PR5 or higher to earn a higher PR.

My contention is the opposite: that while earning links from sites of PR5 or greater is certainly a path to a higher PR, it's not dependent on your site receiving a higher PR. I feel that earning a host of links from "trusted" sites (be they the same PR or lower) will still float you to a higher PageRank.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Ken

[Jill]

Since you don't know what the real PR of any given page is, you won't be able to control it anyway. Just because something shows a PR4 in the toolbar doesn't tell you if it's a high 4 or a low 4 or maybe not even a 4 at all.

The only thing you really need to know is that links from pages that will bring you targeted traffic are good ones. Those that don't do that probably aren't worth spending time attempting to get.

[Randy]

What Jill said is all true and correct, but your theory is right.

The answer to your question when you're hit with these obtuse theories though is: It's simple math.

If you get links from 10,000 pages that are each 0.00010 real PageRank and each have 10 links on them, each of those pages would pass 0.00001 Real PR to you, equaling a total of 0.1 PR. Sure you could get there quicker with fewer links that each had 0.00020 or links from 0.00010 pages where there were only 5 links to split the real PR between, but they all stand a chance of increasing your PR incrementally.

[Jill]

Don't forget that today's PR1 page might be tomorrow's PR6. Also, don't forget that it's not the home page's PR, but the PR of the page where your link lies that would matter.

[internetdominus]

As long as you have good content that people want to read and are willing to link to your pages, your PR will increase, so it is best to get good original content than getting insomnia because of a low PR.
As Jill said links that bring you traffic are the best ones, and those are the ones that people place on their sites or blogs to recommend your content, so those links eventually increase your visitors, and the little green bar.

[blackirish.ken]

Jill and Rand thanks for the insightful responses.

With everything you guys have on your plates, it's great that you can still find the time to give back to the SEO community through your forum participation.

Thanks again,
Ken Lyons