Google PageRank (named after Larry Page from Google) is essentially a page assignment based on a mathematical algorithm that weighs the importance of a site’s presence on the world wide web. Essentially its weight is determined by its number of inbound links. This isn’t to be confused with link farming and blog rolls as the ranking systems systematically avoids these as it continues to evolve with new algorithms. In fact, a blog roll intended to increase a page’s weight on the web actually does the opposite and excludes itself from the algorithm. Of course if blog rolls are included so are websites that content form or compulsively repost original content from other websites. For reading reference I may sporadically refer to page rank as ‘PR’ within this article.

Google keeps its exact methods of reaching its equations under wraps. A simple way to looks at the backbone of the equation is a page’s PR = 0.15 + 0.85 * (share). For all intents and purposes a share is the linked page’s PR divided into a number of outgoing links. Every time a page links back onto another it ‘votes’ for that site in the Google PageRank system. To the level in which that vote is weighted is equal or lesser than the weight of the page itself, not greater than. PR ratings scale from PR1 (being least) to PR10 (being more). Of course, Google is the most heavily weighted site on it’s own scale.

In terms of websites the more pages it has the better the score. This is again, not to be confused with cookie-cutter pages as Google PageRank senses this as spam and it will destruct in the page rankings. Not only will it ruin the page the overused content is on but it could in fact trigger the whole entire site as spam which would definitely destroy the website’s goal of reaching quality advertisers. It’s also not unreasonable to think that a site cannot link to itself through pages as those votes would not actually count.

So now an interesting point as well to note is if you link other pages tons of times not only will it likely be flagged as mentioned above but it’s also a sort of drain on your page. You do not want to link out to your favorite websites without the same or more inbound links to your site. Even if you have a lot of incoming links but no outgoing ones you are again causing the weight to not be distributed properly, although functionally good at times (for everything but PR).

Ultimately good, quality content combined with the right and evenly distributed linkage will greatly improve your score within Google PageRank and resulting in an increase in your Google SERPS.