Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It has been noticed that it is possible to outrank the highly circled Google+ users in Google search, if their post is shared by someone having lesser followers.
So what makes a profile rank higher in Google search? If +1s and the follower count does not? Then what does? A possible explanation of this could be the influence of Profile and Page Rank Authority. Lets begin by understanding a few basics:
What is PageRank?
Page Rank is a method devised by Google as a way to rank a URL based on the volume of links to that URL and this is based on the trust, authority and popularity of the linking pages.
Is the PageRank visible?
Google Toolbar lets us see the public version of the Page rank which is not as detailed and accurate as the original one which Google originally uses. It is also not updated as frequently. The last update to the PageRank was in February 2013 and as per Matt Cutts there no further updates could be expected from Google this year.
How Does PageRank work?
PageRank is acquired through links. The PageRank Value passed on through a link depends upon the
- PageRank of the Linking page- A link from a low PR page will render less value to the destination page than the same link from a page with a higher PR
- Number of links on the linking page- A link from a page with a lot of links will pass less value than the same link from a page with fewer links.
What affects PageRank and why is it important?
PageRank is based on links. It is important because Google considers links as an influential ranking signal especially when it has to choose from very similar content. However, all links do not pass PR as some are no-follow links. This implies that you can make it clear to Google that links such as adverts or the ones in the comments should not pass value and should be not followed.
Google+ and PageRank
Google+ is a social platform meant for interaction and promotions. The +1s do not have a direct influence on the PageRank. However, if you hit +1, it can pass some PR through the links from your profiles/plus ones page and can indirectly affect the pages PR.
The number of followers and social signals such as +1s on one’s profile does not affect rankings. It is the links and relationships between various entities( both internal and external) and the profiles which counts.
There are two types of sources of Google+ affecting PageRank.
The Internal sources or the connections which are within the network are the ones which help Google assess the profile authority. When you +mention some one on Google+, it creates a followed link to that person’s profile. Mentions, reshares and engagement from high profile users can help build PageRank authority of a profile.
External links from web pages to Google+ also help to build authority of G+ entities.
Majestic SEO’s flow metrics can help determine the quality of links to a site. Metrics are grouped and defined into 2 categories:
Citation Flow- It is the number predicting how influential a URL might me based on how many sites link to it.
Trust Flow- It is the number predicting how trustworthy a page is based on how trust worthy sites tend to link to its trustworthy neighbours.
Google+ Authorship and PageRank
In our article, The Importance of Google Authorship for the Content that you create, we had discussed what is Google Authorship, how to create an author’s Google+ profile and advantages of it. But what is the relation between Google+ authorship and PageRank?
When authorship is established for a piece of content, a link is placed from the content to the author’s Google+ profile. Authors with a Google+ profile who create content on a variety of sites would have higher page rank authority than the ones who do not.
How to use Google+ to increase visibility in search?
Develop a strong internal network
An internal network does not imply a large number of followers. It implies strong and active partnerships and relationships with influential Google+ users.
Develop high quality links from trusted websites
Your Google+ profile should be able to create a presence which the site owners would want to recommend or link to.
Make Google Authorship a must for all your content across the web
Google authorship is a Google approved link to your profile. So when trusted sites have the quality content that you produce, your profile gains more authority.