There is a lot that I like about Google – analytics to name but one – but equally they frustrate the hell out of me at times.
However they work out the algorithm for their PageRank is totally screwed up and doesn’t make any sense if you are carrying out the normal rules of the road approach to your website.
I am like many people who develop websites that get uptight about the PageRank of our websites. Should I be so obsessed with this though – I have clear evidence that Google just haven’t got the importance of websites correct.
PageRank is defined as a measure of the ‘importance’ of a page – importance in the eyes of who? Google?
I have made a decision – I am not going to worry about their page rank any more and here is why.
Take Adam Eason’s website. It is about hypnosis and self-hypnosis. It has content galore on the subject and every conceivable aspect of hypnosis. It is a very large site with page after page of content about self-hypnosis. The term self-hypnosis must occur on the site hundreds of times in normal context. The titles have hypnosis in them and so on.
So it’s importance to somebody who wants to know about hypnosis? High of course. So what does Google think?
It used to be PR5 then a few months ago slipped to PR4 and now totally inexplicably the home page is down to PR3. So what have we done wrong. Only added more content to the site and carried on normal good website practice. Scream! It has a blog. Weekly changing Ezine page. Weekly podcast. Membership area – guess what for people who are interested in hypnosis.
Google sees its importance as PR3 – OK so they are not interested in self-hypnosis – what can I do.
Here is my evidence though that this Google PageRank thing is totally screwballs.
At the same time as I was getting hot under the collar because of the slide to PR3 for Adam’s website I spotted another site that had dropped a point. The BBC’s website has dropped to PR8. Suddenly I felt better.
Google has simply got this one absurdly wrong. I defy anyone to find a better website than the BBC’s. It is everything that a great website is about. The content, interactivity, customisation, innovative technology, style and so on are brilliant. Google says importance only 8 out of 10 for such a content driven site.
Google do not -despite what they say – reward good content or even relevant content. Goodness knows how they get this one so wrong when they are so good at other things. I think their PageRank system is farcical and the sooner we all just ignore this flawed system the better.
Technorati Tags: Absurd, Adam Eason, BBC, Google, PageRank, PR
About Keith Watson
Hi - I am Keith Watson.
This blog is dedicated to Banger - a teacher from my teenage years who - at least once a week - insisted upon cracking the hilarious - and I have to say - never heard before line "What's on Watson?".
I would smile demurely - the rest of the class would fall about with sides aching - and life would go on for another week.
'Wats-on My Mind' I have decided will assist me personally as well as be of interest to others (I hope) who share my challenges. It will help keep me organised and document my activities so that I know what I did yesterday.
You think I am joking!!
I have been in the website development game since 1993 and have been involved with over 2000 website builds (with the help of my fantastic team of freelance programmers)
It was only in the last two years though that I have moved over to making money for myself on line and in particular linking up with an amazing talent called Adam Eason to produce and distribute self help and hypnotherapy products.
As a result of looking to promote these products I have downloaded hundreds of internet marketing articles and e-books, studied countless reports, tested list building tactics, butterflied, boot-camped, buzzed, adsensed, affiliated, met a jerk, jv'ed, plr given-awayed, and generally suffered from information overload.
My computer - presumably in a fit of pique or simply demanding a holiday has given up the ghost on at least two occassions - causing me even more stress.
Oh this simple business of making money online.
BUT the great news is that it is all working and our list has grown - I have found some gurus I have complete faith in - and Adam and I are actually making money from our endeavours.
Some way to go but I am more relaxed and can spot a phoney over hyped, sexed up, must have latest product which you must either buy or if not, simply fade into oblivion. There’s not room on this Internet for the two of us.
This ramble of an introduction is really to set the scene for I am sure an interesting journey which I invite you to join. In fact I want you to help me find the right tools, scripts, plugins etc. etc, that will catapult me into the stratosphere of success. I hope you will be there with me.
I don't just consider success in a monetary sense. I so want to help some friends of mine who are involved in Christian missionary work in some pretty harrowing parts of this world. If I can bring any help to their missions that will give me more satisfaction than anything else.
I really, really do love this web stuff and the people you meet. I am convinced that this powerful technology can be harnessed to do some good.
