Instead of that little green guage, all that appears is a grey nothingness.
Of course, any problems with the Google PageRank display on the Google toolbar has members of the SEO community in a flutter.
My opinion on the matter is to not worry.
Think pleasant thoughts and ignore the green or the grey.
For those of you who aren't sure what Google PageRank is all about, check out my Google PageRank FAQs post.
First of all, the Google PageRank numerical display is very out of date at the best of times. The green shown by Google is likely several months old at best. The actual PageRank is kept internally by Google themselves and used in their search rankings calculations.
Not that PageRank really matters any more anyway, as its importance in the Google algorithm (the computer calculation of where a page places in the search results), is no longer very important.
Concerns with the PageRank of a page is soooooooooo 2002...or earlier.
I just wanted to write a sooooooooooo...
And there was my chance.
Another one to cross off the list.
Anyway...
The PageRank display has been badly abused by website owners using their levels of green goo to sell links to other website owners. Whether the link sales made any difference in the search rankings is debatable. The longer green line made some people happy anyway.
I think that Google is probably updating the PageRank display, and most web pages and blog pages will be relatively unaffected. Google could be trying to weed out the link sales people and using a PageRank update to do it.
I doubt that Google is eliminating PageRank altogether, but really, who knows. Google rarely talks about what they plan to do in the present or the future. The removal of PageRank is just speculation from some members of the SEO community.
On the other hand, the lack of green PageRank display could simply be a Google glitch. The search engine giant might be number one, but breakdowns do happen, even to them.
Just ask Jack the beanstalk grower. Giants can have some real problems too.
What do I suggest that you do while your green is grey?
I'm glad you asked.
Keep adding more and more fresh content to your blog or website.
Keep the new posts and pages theme relevant to your overall site or blog theme. The more keyword rich and fresh content you can provide, the more the search engines love it.
At the same time, other website owners and bloggers will link to it as well. The powerful inbound one way links provided will give your blog a major boost in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Of course, the search engines are only a small part of the story anyway.
And maybe not even that important to you and your blog or website at all.
What should really matter to you is providing useful and interesting content and information for your visitors.
Write great blog posts, and add fresh content that answers the needs of your readers. Your blog or website will receive greater benefit than any amount of Google PageRank could ever give you.
Think of your readers first and the search engines a distant second.
After all, by adding fresh interesting content, your blog or website will attract natural incoming links. As a result, high search engine rankings will occur naturally.
Instead of fretting over the loss of green, your readers will be happy with your information.
Happy visitors will have your blog or website in the pink.
If you are selling products from your blog or website, then you will be seeing the much more valuable green, than that of the Google toolbar.
Think of your visitors and their needs first.
Don't worry about Google PageRank.
Everyone will be happier in the long run.
