Glossary
What is PageRank?
PageRank is the link analysis algorithm Larry Page and Sergey Brin described in 1998 as the basis of Google. It scores a page by the number and importance of pages linking to it, treating links as votes. Google still uses a version of it internally, but stopped showing public PageRank scores in 2016.
How it works
In the original model, a page's importance comes from the pages linking to it, divided among all the links on each of those pages. A link from an important page with few outgoing links passes more. The model imagines a "random surfer" clicking links; PageRank is the probability of landing on a page.
Is it still used?
Google has said PageRank is still one of many signals, in updated forms. It removed the public PageRank toolbar score in 2016, so no one outside Google can see it. That gap is why Domain Rating, Domain Authority and similar metrics exist: they approximate link-based authority with each company's own data.
What it means in practice
- Links from strong pages matter more than many links from weak ones.
- Pages with fewer outbound links pass more per link.
- Internal links spread authority through your own site.
- Nofollow was created so sites could link without passing PageRank.
Example
In a simplified picture, a startup's homepage is linked from a popular industry blog post that links to only three sites. That one link can outweigh dozens from directory pages that each link to thousands of products.
FAQ
Does Google still use PageRank?
Yes, as one of many signals, in updated forms.
Can I check my PageRank?
No. Google stopped publishing it in 2016. DR, DA and similar metrics are estimates.
Is PageRank named after web pages?
It's named after Larry Page, and it ranks pages.
Sources
- Brin and Page: The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine
- Google Search Central: How Search works