Google Page Rank Update Hits Sites Hard

The wait for Google’s Page Rank update is finally over, but the results are not what many expected. Staying true to their threat that they will be penalizing websites that sell links, they have knocked some pretty heavy sites on the head. This is one more example of Google eliminating competition in online paid advertising. While this doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that follows Matt Cutt’s blog, it still is more evidence that Google Is Not Your Friend.

Again they are expending energy on creating a monopoly in online advertising and not doing anything to make their SERP’s better.

Does Page Rank Matter Anyway?

There are a lot of my peers that believe as I do: Page Rank means less now than ever. This is a bold statement, but I think it is true, as far as “public” page rank goes. Yes there is a difference to the little green bar on your Google Toolbar and what Google really uses to gauge sites. In fact of all the sites that were targeted in “Google’s bitch slap” as some are calling it, none have seen a decrease in placement as far as I can see. Several high rollers in the blogosphere that were hit by a 3 PR drop haven’t lost any traffic either.

I am more inclined to believe that this is a warning shot across the bow of sites that are selling links, more than an actual real penalty like their earlier 1 to 30 drop that affected some sites a year or so ago.

If you actively sell links, you better make sure your links are both stealth (not part of a syndication network like Text Link Ads) and are relevant to your site’s content theme. When I buy links, I don’t choose sites that have off-topic links. I also only buy links as a last resort for a client’s site that has gotten off to a rocky start or are trying to expand their keyword set.

All in all a look at the SERP’s shows more and more sites ranking in the top 10 for high powered keywords that have PR in the 2’s and 3’s. A lot of people are freaking out about this, but I am counseling my clients to remain calm and stick to our plans which rarely include paid links. The best thing to do now is stick to the SEO Guidelines We All Need To Follow.

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