EatonWeb To Devalue PageRank… What Are Your Thoughts?
The EatonWeb blog directory, which attempts to order blogs in each category by “importance” according to a variety of metrics, has decided to devalue the role of PageRank in its algorithm.
The basic argument is this: PageRank no longer serves as a reliable indicator of importance. If EatonWeb wants to be a reliable indicator of importance, then it needs to devalue the role of PageRank in its algorithm.
So what are your thoughts? Is this a smart move? A bad move? A reactionary move? From an objective standpoint, does it make sense to start ignoring PageRank in favor of other more reliable indicators of blog value?
11.15.07
It’s the right move. Not to ignore PR completely, but to give it less “weight” in the algorithm- that is until/unless it becomes meaningful again. The problem is….one could say that same about Alexa and Technorati- so there we’d be back to an argument about perception = reality.
Nevertheless, to come full circle- this update has rendered pagerank of little importance (in the short-term) for Eaton Web’s purposes and therefore such a move is justified and commendable.
11.15.07
Honestly, I use Alexa exclusively to monitor my own site traffic trends because I don’t participate much in the tech/SEO niches and I believe that Alexa gives me all the real data on trending that I need.
That said, I still use my site stats to monitor keywords;-)
11.15.07
Agreed.
In the absence of a ‘detailed’ analysis, I would give more value to technorati rankings, pure linkage, search rankings, subscription counts and actual traffic (barring that, alexa) as more reliable indicators than PR.
PageRank is theoretically still a valid measure of your site’s linkage but the penalties have made it impossible to judge accurately.
11.15.07
I’ve never heard of EatonWeb directory until this moment, so one thing this move is doing for them is giving them some exposure. Smart!
11.15.07
I think it’s a good move. Even before the recent PR craziness, PR was still not very accurate. It’s always at least 3 months old so any algorithm the weights it too heavily will be penalizing the many quality but new sites.
11.15.07
I don’t see a problem with it. I’ve been ignoring page rank for most of the past year now.
11.15.07
I believe it’s a great move to devalue PageRank completely. It’s absolutely inaccurate since Google decided to manually manipulate results, and no longer has any true indication of importance. I also think that devaluing PR will have a great effect for EatonWeb, because people will talk about it (“EatonWeb is first directory to ignore PageRank – More to come”) Hopefully this would start more sites doing the same, since PR has no value anymore.