PageRank: Don’t Be Selfish!
PageRank is always the object of much discussion among web developers, especially around update times and it’s always buzzing amidst the likes of DigitalPoint and SitePoint. People always want to know how to improve it, but once they get a good rank (we’ll say 5+) they don’t want to do link exchanges anymore. They don’t want to share the linklove because they’ve already gotten PageRank.
Once you’ve gotten your PR to 5 or more, you’re of course going to be looking at ways to improve it. It’s common knowledge that back links are basically what makes up a PageRank. It’s suspect that there are more factors, but Google keeps their ultra high tech algorithm in the vaults. It is also common knowledge that links carry different weights. For example, this site, having been established for a while, PR5 will help your PR than a new site with PR0.
So, why don’t you want to be selfish in continuing to build links and relationships with exchanges? The answer is simple, yet can really support a great base for PR and traffic. Say 10 PR 3 sites link to you, you have great intralinking and have one link from a PR7 site that your buddy owns. Your hypothetical site gets up to PR5 on the next update and those 10 PR3 sites stay the same.
You might be thinking you don’t need them anymore, but there are two reasons to keep spreading the linklove. First, the obvious fact that PageRank can drop. Second, look at it from their point of view. They may be 10 PR3 sites linking to you, but now you’re a PR5 site linking to them. In a way, you can build them up to help yourself out. Actually that does sound selfish, eh? It’s more of an ulterior motive to PR building.
Down the road, you’re greatly established, time has gone by and those PR3 sites are now PR5. That PR7 site is now PR8 and you’re moved up to PR6 with the help of all the new sites linking to you because you write great content or something. Patience is also a key to building PR because it only updates every couple of months, and link building isn’t something that happens over night.
Not to mention of course if you’re not going to link to anyone with your high PR site, no one will link to you. You will then essentially noFollow them back down the PR ladder! 
Leave a comment
Goob
June 13th, 2007 at 4:30 PM
What you say makes perfect sense and yet almost every site owner hits PR5 and thinks, “Ha! That’s it! Time to replace all those crappy PR3 links with some Text Link Ads!”
Bastards
Naresh
June 13th, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Great article. If only there was a way to get a link to http://www.besttuts.com somewhere on this blog.
I must say that I didn’t know much about pagerank before - thanks for the insight.
Andy
June 13th, 2007 at 5:01 PM
Interesting read. I’m more a directory person myself. Link exchanges aren’t something I take part in much but my sites often have outbound links so
Scott
June 13th, 2007 at 6:55 PM
Quality content. As always your articles are a very informative and interesting.
It might also interest you to know your website looks just as good on my wii as it does in firefox.
Connor Wilson
June 13th, 2007 at 7:04 PM
Wii? That’s so awesome. I had kind of wondered what it’d be like.
Thanks Scott!
Mike
June 13th, 2007 at 8:56 PM
Good read! Makes perfect sense!
Nathan
June 14th, 2007 at 6:34 AM
I would say that Connor is awesome! Definately knows what he is talking about
So glad I came upon this blog masterpiece 
Geoff
June 14th, 2007 at 7:03 AM
I’m trying to build my pagerank at the moment.
Doug
June 14th, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Another reason to keep linking and sharing the love is that outlinking, especially within your topic niche, is also important to your own rank. It shows that your site is a relevant part of the community for your topic.
Adnan
June 14th, 2007 at 1:04 PM
Great article buddy and you’re right. It reminds me of an article that Yaro Starak wrote, called “Insular Blogging“. Very good read, and outlinking helps to build relationships on top of everything else.
Angie
June 14th, 2007 at 8:59 PM
I’m just out here trying to learn anything I can about strong blogging and what you’ve had to say here makes more logical sense than ANYTHING else I have read in days now. Thank you.
Connor Wilson
June 14th, 2007 at 9:13 PM
Glad you liked it Angie, and I have to thank YOU for my 500th comment
On to 1000!
L3ggy
June 16th, 2007 at 4:54 PM
Love it Connor I thank you for the link btw. My back links are growing
and my site isn’t even released!
cherries
June 23rd, 2007 at 4:41 AM
Hasn’t pagerank been proven to be very inaccurate? Or am I thinking of Alexa..
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