Avoiding page rank rankness
October 25th, 2007 11:10:33 am pst by 
Sterling Camden
A couple of weeks ago, I was tagged by Tish on a meme that’s openly designed to promote your blog and multiply links to it via a pyramidesque chain-letter scheme. While I’m always flattered to be tagged by Tish, something about participating in this meme didn’t feel quite right to me — so I put it off to think about it for a while.
Then the Great Google decided to alter its Almighty and Ineffable Page Rank Algorithm to penalize pages that appear to be linking just for the sake of linking. Scoble thinks this is no big deal because PR as such does not really exist — it’s more topic-specific now, says Robert. But the change in algorithm may affect searches for relevant content as well, and as Mohan points out it’s the smaller sites with fewer regular readers that rely more on search engine traffic who will be penalized the most.
I suspect that a post that’s almost entirely comprised of numerous links to blog posts, and closely resembles other posts on those sites, just might get caught in Google’s anti-splog crosshairs. So I’m going to give that meme a pass, and I’d suggest that other bloggers avoid overtly gratuitous linking until we see how this all shakes out.
Incidentally, it appears that there is no etymological connection between the two meanings of the word “rank” used in the title — they come from different roots.
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Well, if it were true that what you don’t know can’t hurt you, then I’d probably be the luckiest person in the world!
Good thing I don’t care!
No taste for the Google-juice, Robert?
Oh, I suppose I could think ’bout it if I had the time to really focus on growing my readership at the Zone, but frankly, I’m doing good to keep up with the paying jobs I have! Besides, I’m afraid of turning what currently is just plain fun – into work!
[...] Avoiding page rank rankness A couple of weeks ago, I was tagged by Tish on a meme that’s openly designed to promote your blog and multiply links to it via a pyramidesque chain-letter scheme. While I’m always flattered to be tagged by Tish, something about participating in this meme didn’t feel quite rig… [...]
I really believe it’s ironic that Google continues to go on the attack on strategies like this. Take for instance, Darren Herman, who was penalized by Google for months for, what they believe, was his attempt to game the system.
The only people hurt were people who didn’t find Darren’s informative blog after Google pushed it into the penalty box.
I’m not advocating all out anarchy, but when a blogger is working his butt off posting a couple times a day, they are providing value to Google, not just their own blog. Google doesn’t pay for the sites it ranks in each search, but they surely make money off of them.
Why isn’t it okay for people to initiate strategies like this? Isn’t the entire blogosphere one huge pyramid scheme with pings, trackbacks, authority, etc.?
Well, Doug — the motivation for Google is to try to create more relevant search results, so they get even more users, so they get even more ad revenue. The question is whether this new strategy is effective. I’m thinking that it cuts a little too broadly.
Agreed. Relevance, is the key here… but who’s to say that a blog that participates in a meme isn’t the most relevant? Sometimes the little guy needs a leg up to play with the big boys.
Hi Chip,
Thanks for the link. Where you hit by Google?
There’s a hell lot of discussion going on in the PayPerPost forums. And those people have started on an anti google campaign… I’ve still not been forgiven for saying “No thank you!” to it… I can’t live without my daarling Gmail, Orkut, and the most huggable Google search
It doesn’t seem like I was affected, Mohan. But I quickly removed my Text Link Ads widget just to be safe.
Various pageranks have been restored. Either error or Google fooling around.
Maybe just flexing their muscles so we don’t forget who reigns in the cloud.
Hi, Chip! I completely understand you deciding to pass on this one! I hope all is well in your world.
Doing great, Tish! And thanks again for thinking of me.
My GPR which used to be 5 is now 4 but I still get around 1400+ reads per day, so WTF?
Wow 1400 — I dream of that. I’m 100 uniques on a good day (not counting people who just read the feed, that’s about 120-150).
I expect most of your readers are regulars, so page rank wouldn’t affect that traffic much. On this site, about 33% of traffic comes from search engines — and on Chip’s Tips it’s about 78% — so any dip in SEO could spell markedly reduced readership for me.
I’ve been hit
I went from PR 4 to PR 1… And I had NO sponsored links… But I installed that damn TLA plugin the day before yesterday
Ouch! Better deactivate it and see what happens.
Eh i don’t really pay attention but everyone was going crazy so I looked. Mine personal blog the one with tla in post text add links dropped pr my other blog the Darfur blog with less traffic less links and less feeds stayed the same.
So I’m not sure if it is because the darfur blog is more specific, or if it because of the TLA links. I know it’s only a hundred bucks a month but I don’t think goggle should be able to penalize me for that.
Eh Whateva.
Hmm… the TLA seems to be a common theme here. Nobody ever bought on mine, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t penalized. Or maybe I just deactivated the widget quickly enough.
I don’t want to be the downer, nor do I want to get anyone’s attention. I’m making a decent amount with TLA and haven’t gotten penalized. In fact, I made it through the entire PR ordeal with no changes.
Well that’s good news, Doug. Hope it stays that way.