Is Google PageRank Important?

Here's an infuriating response: a little bit, but mostly no.

Google PageRank® is the process by which Google decides a Website's value (value, by the way, will increase with relevancy and solid incoming links). Once examined, the site will be given a rating between one and 10, one being the lowest and ten being the highest.

While Google PageRank® should not be considered the end-all-be-all of Search Engine Optimization and link building, it can be useful to see how you stack up against your competition. Also, if a site has a PageRank of 0, that can indicate that a site has been penalized by the Search Engines or lacks inbound links.

That said, we beg you not to obsess about your PageRank. Obtaining higher PageRank should never be the goal of any marketing campaign (and believe us, we've been asked, "please, just improve my PageRank!"). PageRank is just an estimate, and there are many, many factors besides PageRank that affect a site's worth. Instead of letting PageRank consume your thoughts, think instead about improving your incoming links, content, design, etc.

Also, don't evaluate an incoming link solely based on its PageRank. PageRank, as you see it on the toolbar, is only updated every few months and may not be accurate. Ask yourself instead: does this site send good, relevant traffic to my Website?