Google PageRank Update May 2012!

Google's latest PageRank May 3rd 2012, which has just been rolled out, has given bloggers all over the internet something to say and think about. For some, it came as a pleasant surprise, as their PR increased, while others were shocked to see their PR drop as a result of this update. Indeed, we weren't expecting an update until June, but PR is updated every 3-4 months, so it didn't totally come put of the blue. It was just a minor update, as Google has already been implementing changes in the last few months. Amid high anticipation among bloggers, this update benefited more blogs than it harmed.

After this update, PR for MBT remains the same. But there is good news! The PR for our sister blog Smart Earning Methods jumped directly to 2 from 0! So as a treat for our readership at SEM, we have opened up guest posting on SEM, and we have already received some guest posts! You can submit one too now!

What is Google PageRank and How does it work?

For most savvy bloggers, this is nothing new, as they have spent time in the past worrying about the next PR update. But for new people,bloggers, or for those that don't know, Google PageRank is a rating of your webpages on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the best rating. Google rates itself at PR 9. It is updated every 3-4 months. The last update was in February 2012, while the one before that came in November 2011. So There's been a three month gap for two or more times in a row. Hence, the next update is expected in the first week of August, although Google never releases a fixed date for this update.

As to what Google PR actually is, it basically is Google's way of ranking pages and giving higher priority to better quality pages. A few years ago, spam blogging was on the rise. Spammers used automated bots to comment on other blogs, with links to their own blogs. This increased their inbound links and hence gave them better priority than quality websites. As a result, Google introduced updates and this ranking system so that quality websites are given higher priority.

The Google PageRank takes into account many factors,some of which are backlinks, content quality, content quantity, SEO, and more. Watch the video below which explains how PR works and how it is updated.

How to check PR?

If you haven't checked your PR already, then what are you waiting for?? Get on with it! Go to the PR Checker Tool, and write your blog URL there. You will need to fill in an anti-bot captcha before you can find out your PR.

How to improve your PR?

Build backlinks - PR is mostly based on the number of incoming links to your blog, and the quality of those links. There are various methods for increasing backlinks, such as Guest Posting, article marketing, forum participation, etc. Always try to build genuine backlinks, and never purchase backlinks, because these are low quality links, and they do more harm than good.

SEO - Search Engine Optimization is very important as well. You want to make it easy for Google to find and index your blog. For more information about SEO, check out our 20 Hot Seo Tactics every blogger should know.

Has your PR dropped

If you are on the wrong side of this update, and if your PR has dropped, chances are that you are doing something wrong. Handing out many backlinks to other blogs when you yourself have a few incoming links can be a major reason. Not to worry though. This isn't the end of the world! You have the next three months ahead of you to make the most use of. Read our post on 3 Reasons Why Your PR is Not Increasing to learn on the job better.

If you have been successful in getting a higher PR, then congratulations are in order :). If not, then now's your chance to work harder and improve your rank. For those who haven't checked their PR yet, I sincerely hope your PR has improved. Cheers :)