Alright, let’s talk about PageRank—that old Google metric we all thought was dead. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Sure, you can’t see that little green bar anymore, but the concept is still very much alive. PageRank is all about how links connect your pages and how Google decides which ones are most important. And trust me, links are still everything.
What Do PageRank and Links Have in Common?
Think of your website like a map. Your pages are destinations, and links are the roads connecting them. If those roads are well-planned and lead somewhere useful, Google can easily navigate your site and figure out what’s important. But if your links are all over the place—confusing dead ends or unrelated paths—Google gets lost. And if Google’s lost, your visitors probably are too.
Site Organization: SEO, WordPress, and Links
Let me give you a real example: imagine you run a website about SEO built on WordPress. Your top-level theme is “SEO” That’s your big category—the foundation. Now, under that, you’ve got subcategories like “Wordpress” “Link Building,” and then “Technical SEO.” These are like mini-hubs of focused content.
So, let’s say you’ve got a blog post in your Link Building category called “How to Get Quality Backlinks.” That post shouldn’t just sit there by itself. It should link to:
- Other related posts in the Link Building category, like “Anchor Text Best Practices.”
- Your main SEO Tips page to reinforce the broader theme.
- Your On-Page SEO section if there’s a connection, like using internal links effectively.
And, of course, all of these link back to your homepage, creating a logical structure that Google can follow. This interconnected system tells Google, “Hey, this site is well-organized, and here’s what’s most important.”
How Links Power PageRank
Here’s how PageRank ties in: Google assigns value to your pages based on the links they have—both internal and external.
- Internal Links: These are the connections you create within your site. They help Google crawl and spread PageRank across your pages. For example, if your homepage links to your “SEO Tips” hub, and that hub links to your “Link Building” category, you’re signaling which pages are most important.
- External Links: Backlinks from other websites still matter, but it’s all about quality. A link to your site from a trusted SEO blog? Fantastic. A link from a spammy, unrelated site? Not so much. Google evaluates where those links come from to decide how much authority they pass to your site.
And here’s a mistake to avoid: having too many unrelated links on a page. If your blog post about “How to Get Quality Backlinks” suddenly links to a random WordPress plugin for e-commerce, you’re diluting your site’s focus. Keep your links relevant and intentional.
PageRank: Evolved but Alive
While we don’t see PageRank scores anymore, the concept has grown smarter. Google now considers context, relevance, and user experience alongside links. Site health also plays a role. Broken links, outdated content, or poor navigation can hurt your rankings.
The Key Takeaway
If you want to win with PageRank today:
- Organize your site with clear themes.
- Build logical, meaningful links between related pages.
- Earn quality backlinks from authoritative sites.
Think of your website as a network of roads and your links as the lifelines. Keep them clear, relevant, and connected, and you’ll not only help Google understand your site—you’ll create a seamless experience for your users. And that’s the ultimate win.