What is page rank? For entrepreneurs and online marketers, it’s a gotta-answer question. Why? You might have the most engaging website in the world, but if it doesn’t show up high in search engine rankings customers may never get a chance to visit it. So here’s the beginner’s guide to page rank and how it works at increasing web traffic:
What is page rank?
The term, which was coined in honor of Google co-founder Larry Page, originally described the algorithm (mathematical calculation) that weighs the importance of Internet content. PageRank is a Google trademark, but the term “page rank” has more generally come to describe how popular a link is on the Web.
Why is page rank important for my online marketing campaign or my business?
Imagine a customer who wants to find piano lessons for her child. She opens her favorite search engine and types “kids piano lessons harrisburg pa”, which generates a list of piano teachers offering lessons to kids in that area. This mom is busy, so she clicks onto the first two or perhaps four teachers listed on the results page before deciding which one(s) to contact.
The music teachers who did not show up near the top of the page rank list just lost a potential customer to the schools that ranked highly.
How can I start increasing web traffic by boosting my page rank?
The answer is simple: become SEO savvy. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making a website or blog more visible to search engines, like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Effective SEO techniques will take two critical factors into consideration: how search engines work and how consumers use those search engines. Here are tips for increasing web traffic:
- Know thy keywords. One of the most basic SEO tactics, keyword research is a must-know way to boost page visibility. By matching keywords on your site or blog to the keywords or phrases that customers type into search engines you will raise page rank, which, in turn, starts increasing web traffic.
- Go META. The META tags are groups of keywords that a web designer builds into the site to attract search engines. (If you’re using a blogging platform, like WordPress, you may be able to add the tags yourself.) For example, keywords can be inserted into the site’s title bar. If you later decide to change the targeted keywords, you may need to update the META tags within the website.
- Register your site. One way to fast track page rank is to register the site with search engines. Registration is often free and typically only requires you to fill out a simple online form. After registration it may take several weeks for a new website or blog to start appearing in search results.
- Get publicity. One of the most underused ways of increasing web traffic is to take advantage of press release submission sites. These firms, like PRWeb, distribute press releases to a variety of news sites, such as Yahoo! News or Topix. This boosts organic search results, and it might just pique a reporter’s interest as well.
What is page rank? It’s a need-to-know factor for entrepreneurs and small business owners. By understanding how search engines place websites in search results, you can implement the online marketing tactics that push your site or blog to the top of the list—faster.
Dianne Shaddock is a self proclaimed HR nerd who loves all things relating to Social Media and the Internet. That’s why she created Tools for Social Media, your source for free articles on all things related to social media, the Internet, Web 2.0 and WordPress for the newbie.
