Optimizing for Google - Optimizing for PR: What's the Difference?

The difference between success in the SERPS and good PR

[jeremymgp]

Hi everyone,

I've added about 2000 pages of content in the last 4 months and am now working on getting links. With 900 links but only 32 external this is a priority :) I have a high PR6 site with all my second level directories PR6 also, and that is from the Feb (March 7th) update.

It seems most of the top 10-30 sites for many keywords have very average PR. Are there any differences between optimising for PR and optimizing for actual SERPS? With the quality content I have added I am sure I will in turn get the links I need to have great positions on Google, but it does seem that SERPS actually have very little to do with the inherit merit of a site. Some of the characteristics high ranking sites typically have:

Keyword domain - invisible text - thousands of repetitive cgi/asp pages - run-of-the-mill content - and plain old age, they've just been around longer.

Great content followed by an honest, non-reciprocal links campaign is I'm sure the way to go, and I know that there are over 100 factors in calculating SERPS of which PR is just one, but what actually are the others? The Internet is coming of age and we need it run on a merit-based system. Any comments on this subject much appreciated.

regards,

Jeremy

[doc_z]

> Are there any differences between optimising for PR and optimizing for actual SERPS?

> and I know that there are over 100 factors in calculating SERPS of which PR is just one, but what actually are the others?

You gave the anwser by your own. PR is one important point. There are other such as anchor text (very important), title, text (density, occurence, <h1>, <b>, ...)

> Some of the characteristics high ranking sites typically have: Keyword domain - invisible text - thousands of repetitive cgi/asp pages - run-of-the-mill content - and plain old age, they've just been around longer.

There are different opinions about the importance of keyword domains. I think the main benefit is coming from the anchor text. For example, if your domain name is "keyword-company" you will get numerousness incoming links with this phrase as anchor text.

Avoid invisible text. If competitors are using invisible text use Google's spam report form.

If you do a site search you will find a number of threds about the weight of the different factors.