sundaridevi - 11:46 am on May 4, 2011 (gmt 0)

Theoretically, it makes sense to use such metrics in influencing search results as part of an algorithm prevalent in on-page-content RELEVANCE factors. However, for the time being, there seems to be a considerable gap between theory and practice.

Yes, but it seems plausible that Google today, places more emphasis on a site-based view of the web, as opposed to a page-based view of the web as it did in the past.

What I mean by that is that in the past, a page had PageRank and apart from what was on that page, PR was the most important determinant of the SERPs for the page. But today I think that the relationship of a page with other pages on the site and the influence of what is on the other pages has become more important. Things have been heading this way for a while (i.e. the talk here of a -50 penalty, etc, is evidence of a site based view of the web).