Time to Eliminate Google PageRank feedback?

[Bernard]

As per my post in the Ask the Execs (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=865) thread (which could not be addressed because Google was not available), do you believe that if Google removed the PageRank indicators from the toolbar and directory, it would be a positive step in returning the basis of linking to more natural considerations?

[seobook]

somewhat, but it is too good of a marketing ploy for Google. they are not going to get rid of it anytime soon.

[Bernard]

If one agrees with the premise, then one could argue that keeping the green bar just for marketing efforts would be "doing evil" by their own vision.

[sem4u]

It would certainly make things more interesting :)

Only webmasters use the green bar anyway.

[Marcia]

Nope. If people can get into hot water for linking to bad neighborhoods, then even though the toolbar isn't as accurate as it could be right now, then the ones who want to walk the line need something to help them know what is or isn't a bad neighborhood.

[Bernard]

Marcia, webmasters managed just fine before the green bar appeared on the toolbar, didn't they? It's not that hard to analyze a potential link partner for danger signs without the green/white/grey bar - just see if they are indexed and check how old the site is with WHOIS.

[robwatts]

No here too Bernard.

Its part of the landscape, and for me acts as a helpful indicator in evaluating potential link partners.

If there's a grey bar, very low pr, or pr0 on the home page for example, then its a good instant visual that something *might* be up. Don't get me wrong, the evaluation process should include a whole lot more than just looking at whether a domain is pr5 or 0 or whatever, but it is a tool in the box , that I personally would miss.

I do hear your sentiment though, it has no doubt shaped the web and helped inform how people choose to link to others. Whether this is a necessarily bad thing is up for debate, but lets face it it isn't the green thing alone that is doing this, aspects of the algo and the paper green stuff also have an effect to. ;)

[Bernard]

I hear you Rob, but based upon your reply, you should have answered the poll question yes. You answered a different question IMO.

[robwatts]

Probably so Bernard, its been a long day.
;)

[Bernard]

76 views and 4 votes. I guess the subject is too sensitive?

[Daria_Goetsch]

I'd say no, even though as mentioned before mostly SEO's use it. The typical webmaster may not use the information. For me, it's handy as a guideline but like any tool, I take it with a grain of salt and check other information to add to the toolbar information. If Google showed all the actual backlinks to websites it might be different, it might make the tool less valuable. If the toolbar disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn't be the end of the world, just make things a little harder to manage.

[ihelpyou]

I voted to get rid of it. It's fullfilled it's original mission and now the "only" basis for webmasters/seo's, etc to gage a site and whether or not to link to it. That's not what the internet is about.

I "never" hardly ever use the PR thingie. The only time is to check for a penalty of a site I might take as a client. That's it. It's useless to me for any other purpose. It only serves the PageRank mania disease that is rampant. It only hurts the internet.

Be done with it. Turn the darn thing off. :)

[seobook]

I voted to get rid of it. It's fullfilled it's original mission and now the "only" basis for webmasters/seo's, etc to gage a site and whether or not to link to it.
not true. just yesterday I linked into your search engine chart not once but twice without you asking.

[ihelpyou]

LOL Thanks Aaron!

Yep. That's the point. That's the way it use to 'always' be when the little green bar was not available. Sites linked to sites because they "wanted" to, and maybe because it would help their visitors, and not because of a green bar or link popularity.

Oh, the good o'l days. :)

[seobook]

LOL Thanks Aaron!

Yep. That's the point. That's the way it use to 'always' be when the little green bar was not available. Sites linked to sites because they "wanted" to, and maybe because it would help their visitors, and not because of a green bar or link popularity.

Oh, the good o'l days. :)

I think the missing element which you are seeing is more the fact that the web has lost its novelty (and now does a better job of paralleling the actual world) and is now more of a commercial platform (at least that is how most marketers see it).

Any time I have done something non commercial in nature I ask for links and people are willing to hand them out like candy. Do commercial stuff and then you run into problems. Why?

All through life we are taught to "get ahead" (nobody knows why or who they are getting ahead of...they are just getting ahead :confused:) and inadequate emphasis is usually placed on "helping others"...at least from my short years of experience in this world and on the web.

With or without the toolbar existing many people in the commercial sectors of the web would be stingy with their links. Most people I have met have seemed rather selfish - its part of a consumerism driven society. Our existance on the web is a reflection of our existance away from it.

Some people are good at connecting with others (like some prominent bloggers) and do rather well on the web, sometimes with minimal effort. They do not mind linking to tons of various people because to them the links do not have much value.

Most sites ran by marketers are more profit driven as that is what usually drives marketers. The links to us are a bunch more valuable because we want machines to understand how much more important we are than the next guy (so we can make more money than the next guy), and few people are willing to put forth the effort to create a SearchEngineWatch or a Google. Thus we make business partnerships and flock happily in our own little circles.

The links only have such extreme value because
1.) we want them really badly
2.) most people fail to earn them.

I still rent a few links, but will soon hopefully move away from that. I have more fun thinking up fun ideas than promoting bad ones and I think most people do.

The problem is that most sites are not remarkable and thus links do not always come easily. For every one good idea there are thousands of dumb ones. Unfortunately frequently the people with the unoriginal & boring ideas are the ones who have cash to offer us the SEOs.

[St0n3y]

As much of a "value" the PR bar is for our purposes, I think getting rid of it would dramatically change the SEO landscape for the better. Right now I feel it is a necessary evil. Must use it while its there, but if its gone, then more thought and consideration goes into the whole SEO/linking process.