Threshold of PR and link value

[jaeden]

As I'm looking through the internet, trying to gather quality links, I'm finding I don't really know who to target. Most link pages I find that I care about are with PR's from 4 to 6. Each page has a different amount of links. Since page PR is divided among all the links on a page, I'm not sure exactly what to shoot for, since there are literally thousands of relative pages for my site. I want to aim for the best pages first, then the less important ones.

This is what I'm not sure of. What is better, a link from a page with a PR of 5 and 30 links, or a page with PR of 4 and 10 links?

Does it work something like this?

Good PR5 links 10
Better PR6 links 15, 20, 30, 40?

Good PR4 links 10
Better PR5 links 15, 20, 30, 40?

Basically, when is more links on a higher PR page too many?

Jaeden

[swizz]

Hi Jaeden,

Check out this article Top 10 Google Myths Revealed [promotionbase.com]
If a page with PR4 has 10 links and 1 is pointing to your page it would have more weight as a page with PR5 with 30 and 1 link pointing to your page, so I would say try to get a link on those sites with lower outbound links.

Linkweigth = PR / link count (As I've read on the link above)

Cheers
Steven

[taxpod]

I'd stay away from the "Myth" article and stick to this forum. The article contains some errors and ommissions not to mention a few newly formed myths. This forum at least will offer differing points of view on subjects that nobody knows a real answer to. Let your competitors read that article and you'll be the better for it.

There are numerous discussions here regarding PR transfer via links. Basically PR as we discuss it (1-10) is a logarithmic value. PR1=9^1, PR2=9^2, PR3=9^3, etc. as an example. To get the amount transferred, real PR is multiplied by a dampening factor (say 85% or something like that) and then divided by the number of outbound links.

So you can figure your outbound link value that way. But a better rule of thumb is to find sites and pages you like (lots of them) and persistently request links or offer link exchanges.

IMHO Playing the PR game will get you nowhere! After all, PR is but one element in the overall SERP game. Don't get me wrong. Get tons of links but make them the sites in your space that you really like. Just stay away from the sites and pages which have been penalized because they tried to play tricks. Go after the DMOZ, Yahoo, etc. links but definitely don't ignore the small topical sites you like. They'll be the PR7s and 8s of tomorrow that you'll wish you had exchanged links with two years from now.

[annej]

If they are links from sites and pages related to your site they are good links because they will bring visitors interested in your material. That's more important than page rank. PR of 4 to 6 is great as you know the site is in Google's good graces.

The important thing is getting interested people to your site. If it helps with PR that is just a side benifit.

Anne

[Dante_Maure]

If a page with PR4 has 10 links and 1 is pointing to your page it would have more weight as a page with PR5 with 30 and 1 link pointing to your page

You've misunderstood the way PageRank is calculated and distributed.

From a purely PR perspective, the PR5 link can provide a greater PR benefit even with the increased number of outbounds.

You need to keep in mind that there is an exponential increase in weighting as you climb up the PR scale. In other words, there is a far larger gap between PR6 and PR7 than there is between PR5 and PR6.

A PR8 page with 50 outbound links passes on way more PR per link than a single outbound on a PR2 page.

Linkweigth = PR / link count (As I've read on the link above)

This fact is meaningless and can lead to a major misunderstanding of PageRank when it is removed from the following context... (mentioned in the same article)

The toolbar does not show your actual PageRank, only an approximation of it. It gives you an integer rank on a scale from 1-10. We do not know exactly what the various integers correspond to, but we're sure that their curve is similar to an exponential curve with each new "plateau" being harder to reach than the last.

[rfgdxm1]

PR is definitely logarithmic. I've seen estimates of the base being about 6, which seems from my observation a good guess. There is also a damping factor, which means a page can't give its full PR value to another page. If the base is indeed 6, then being the only link from a PR5 page is as good as being one of 36 links on a PR7 page. Obviously, the name of the PR game is to try and get links from pages with high PR and few links. Easier said than done. No way my sites will ever get out of their PR5 hell (well, that really ain't *that* bad, but you get the point) is if I can somehow finagle a PR7 page or so to link to me.

[Hardwood Guy]

I may be wrong but why be so darned concerned with page rank. Sure I'd like to see my sites move up from 3 and 4 respectively and let some of the more common search phrases get me on page one but it ain't gonna happen by the looks of it.....'least for awhile.

I'd have to say concentrate on keyword phrases that put you above the competitor. Works for me and I'm up there on page one in the number one position. Unfortunately it's not an often used search phrase but enough to keep me real happy:)

Ken

[jaeden]

Logarithmic function eh? I lost my index card after I took my calc final 12 years ago, and can't remember a damn thing. The only logarithm I know is a drumstick (or is that a stick-o-rythm?) There was a formula floating around somewhere on how google calculates PR, anyone know where that is?

Does anyone buy that guys viewpoint on the exponential growth of PR. For instance, it's four times harder to get the next PR. If so, would you assume the weight of those pages to trickle down to the link weight on the pages? Let's say I'm looking at what pages to gather links from. Would you say a link from these pages are equal?

All things equal:
PR 7 page - 256 links
PR 6 page - 64 links
PR 5 page - 16 links
PR 4 page - 4 links
PR 3 page - 1 link

In this case using the above scale, I'd say that if a PR 5 page has 16 links, a PR 6 page with 40 links would be better?

[rfgdxm1]

Showing PR in the Toolbar would only make sense logarithmically. Set the lowest value in the index as PR0, and the highest value in the index as PR10, and then scale it logarithmically. The unknown here is exactly what the *base* used for this is? Definitely from my observations the base seems higher than 4.

[jaeden]

I wonder if we asked Google Answers this question, would they have an answer?

[Even_Steven]

Hey Jaeden,

Just be happy that you're able to get a link from another page. Even if it is just a PR3, that page may one day blossom into a PR7, and you'll be getting some outstanding PR points from it.

[Jimmie]

How bad is it gonna hurt me to have 300 outbound links with only 27% of those linking back to me becuase they have not yet responded with reciprocal links.

I always put a link on my site to someone before I request a reciprocal link, in trying to have good netiquette, but if it takes webmasters a month or more to reciprocate, should I do this?

[Jimmie]

And what I have now done is put <!-- in front of the link and --> after...i.e., <!--<A href="sitename.com">-->site name</a> site description...

so the site and description are listed but not a hyperlink..with a note to webmasters on my link page that their link is just awaiting a reciprocal link.

I don't know how else to address this problem. I'm afraid all those outbound links without reciprocal inbound links will hurt me in the long run. Mind you, I did not do this until I had sent 2 requests and still no response. I don;t want to delete them in case webmasters are just behind in updating their links..but I also don't want them sitting there unreciprocated for a month or more.

[Jimmie]

btw, how do you know when the google dance is done? Obviously, I'm new! lol

[Jimmie]

When looking for high PR pages to link to me, do I look at the PR of their homepage, or is it the PR of their page where my link is located on their site that matters to me?

[jaeden]

It's only the PR of the page that is pointing to you that matters. And make sure that the PR is not calculated, i.e., make sure that particular page appears in the Google SERPs.

[SlyOldDog]

bnc has a b in his bonnet. he he.

Actually assuming you are correct about the nature of pagerank, it is logarithmic. If you take the pagerank value, it would be the log of the true value.

Pagerank = X*log(linear value) where log base is guessed frequently by the members of this forum :).

[Jimmie]

How do I check to see if a particular page appears in the Google SERPs. And what is SERPs?

[jonrichd]

SERPS = Search Engine Result Pages, in other words the results of a query you type into the a search engine.

The easiest way to see if a page is in the Google index is to type its address into the Google search box. If you see a result, with heading and description, it's in the index.

[jaeden]

Sorry about the abbreviations Jimmy, I have to remember to look at user status to judge what acronyms to try to get away with. You might consider clicking on the link to the glossary above so you can get used to the lingo on this board. Good luck in your rankings.

[brina]

My two cents:

In September, I was lucky enough to get a great link from a PR 7 home page. In October, my homepage was rated a PR7 - it was a PR4 the month before. I had only been online for about 5 months at that point. My traffic shot up as I was beating out the biggest competitors in my industry. October rocked!

Of course, everyone says that October PR was given out like candy and by the Novemeber update, I lost the link and went back to a 4 or a 5.

My point is - the algorythm changes from month to month so what may be tru this month won't be next month or the month after etc.

I definately agree to go after relavent sites that are on topic and a benefit to the web community. That's a sure fire way to go on this.

Thanks, Brina