Ok so google finally updated the pr and backlinks. Since my site is new this was the first time I've seen PR and it went from zero to two. Unfortunately, I have a few backlinks from pr 7 and pr 5 sites but google only counted one from each. I understand that google won't count your low PR backlinks but these were high. Is google always like this?

In a word: yes.

Don't sweat what Google lists as your backlinks. They're just trying to counter PR obsession.

The PR obsession must just be a part of starting a new site. It seems like anyone who's been around for a while doesn't really care one bit about it though. I guess I need to concentrate more on improving my search rankings rather than PR right?

I would concentrate on providing useful and relevant site content - but that's just me

PR isnt overly important. ww.Youtube.com only has a PR of 5 and is in the top 50 most visited sites in the world. www.anmartech.com has a PR of 1, while www.forums.anmartech.com has a PR2...

orionvortex, have you ever heard the old adage "the more you try to achieve perfection, the further away you end up from it"?

The same logic applies to search engines.

Do exactly what blue-dreamer just said...build good content. The SE stuff will come from it, and so will traffic from non-search engine sources.

I would concentrate on providing useful and relevant site content - but that's just me

PR isnt overly important. ww.Youtube.com only has a PR of 5 and is in the top 50 most visited sites in the world. www.anmartech.com has a PR of 1, while www.forums.anmartech.com has a PR2...

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

orionvortex, have you ever heard the old adage "the more you try to achieve perfection, the further away you end up from it"?

The same logic applies to search engines.

Do exactly what blue-dreamer just said...build good content. The SE stuff will come from it, and so will traffic from non-search engine sources.

I think that you are all right! Content is the most important! Just like my father always taught me "Do something you like, become skilled at it and the money will eventually come", I am starting to hear myself saying "Write about the subjects you are interested in, write good content and the search engines will eventually come". The key is content. Those search engines might not pick it all up in the beginning but if you keep making good, relevant content that people want to read then eventually then eventually everything will fall in place right?

Your father sounds like a wise man. That's really the basic philosophy. Start with building a good site and keep building it. There are lots of things you can do to get more backlinks, but in the end the best way is to have content other people want to link to.

More and more lately when checking my stats I'll come across a referrer link that I never did anything to add a link to. I'll check the site and there it is someone linked to an article I wrote. It's great to get links without having to spend the time working to get them and of course it also feels good to know someone thought enough about something I wrote to want to link to me.

With Google you're right that they only show a sampling of the links they know about. I think it used to be based more on a PR thing, but I believe now it's more random. I usually check Yahoo when I want to know how many backlinks I may have out there.

I agree. Let's get your father up to Toronto and drink some beers.

I'd prefer to have him come out to Colorado. We do have a lot of good microwbrews here too if that help sweetens the deal.

I agree. Let's get your father up to Toronto and drink some beers.

Originally Posted by vangogh

I'd prefer to have him come out to Colorado. We do have a lot of good microwbrews here too if that help sweetens the deal.

Can I come too??

I think it's only fair. The more the merrier anyway.

**** right you can! Now let's all get drunk and play ping-pong!

had to join in - i'm in TO now playing pingpong with a jug a suds in the other hand

Yes, umm my dad always said the same thing *whistles*

Can I come?... or we could do it in the UK...

Maybe we need to start a ping pong (and beer drinking) tour that runs through each of our towns.

Sounds great to me! Go ahead and mark Tokyo on the itinerary