According to several sources I've found, the PageRank could possible be today (Thursday 16th).

Also, changes in policy mean that websites selling links will be penalized and removed from Google whenever they find them or someone flags them.

Apparently there has been a delay since the last PageRank update because of Algorithm changes, so we must be prepared for some different listings and SEO changes if it is drastic

Well, let's just expect the PR update to happen any time soon. Hopefully it won't happen a year from now... that would definitely suck.

Originally Posted by Galaxian

According to several sources I've found, the PageRank could possible be today (Thursday 16th).

So what?

Originally Posted by Galaxian

Also, changes in policy mean that websites selling links will be penalized and removed from Google whenever they find them or someone flags them.

Rubbish! Where did you read that nonsense?

@gringo:

Information about the new Google webmaster guidelines can be found here.

Look at Google's new guidelines and you'll see that buying/selling and trading links violate the rules and may result into some consequences.

They are talking about schemes used to manipulate the SERPs. If I sell a link to someone who has a related site to help advertise their site, neither my site nor the other site will get penalised.

Originally Posted by gringo

So what?

Believe it or not, it can be important!

Originally Posted by gringo

Rubbish! Where did you read that nonsense?

Several sources, just go to Google blog search and type pagerank.

Also, apparently Google are removing the PageRank from their toolbar. (search google blogsearch and news)

OK, maybe what you read wasn't nonsense but I think you are misinterpreting Google's intentions. They want to clamp down on schemes whose sole purpose is to manipulate rankings, not simply remove all sites that have sold links.

There are plenty of useful and reputable sites that sell links to help promote other related sites - not give them a PR/ranking boost. Google would not want to remove these sites from their index.

Originally Posted by gringo

There are plenty of useful and reputable sites that sell links to help promote other related sites - not give them a PR/ranking boost. Google would not want to remove these sites from their index.

Then those sites must put rel="nofollow" on links if the purpose of the links is to advertise sites.

Originally Posted by Galaxian

Also, apparently Google are removing the PageRank from their toolbar. (search google blogsearch and news)

Google's removing the PR from their toolbar? Huh? I don't get you. Please explain further.

Believe it or not, it can be important!

for what??
other than selling overpriced worthless links to numpties

Several sources, just go to Google blog search and type pagerank.

Blog linkbait speculation then!

Google are removing the PageRank from their toolbar

Do we get an authorative source for this? or is it just blogger linkbait speculation?

I really wish google would get rid of public pagerank all together, all it does is make websites appalling with their owners caring more about pagerank than content.

The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community. The more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it. Before making any single decision, you should ask yourself the question: Is this going to be beneficial for my page’s visitors?

If everyone followed that advice the web would be a far better place. And yes placing a link on your site with the intention of manipulating page rank (as I see SO often around these forums) does violate googles TOS and I shall be making an effort to report any such advertisements to google in the future. If it helps promote a better web I am all for it.

Jamie

Originally Posted by chrishirst

for what??
other than selling overpriced worthless links to numpties

Blog linkbait speculation then!

True. But to some webmasters, including me, having a good pagerank is attractive

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Do we get an authorative source for this? or is it just blogger linkbait speculation?

http://news.google.co.uk/news/url?sa...cid=1119418342

http://news.google.co.uk/news/url?sa...435.html&cid=0

http://www.ditii.com/2007/08/09/goog...-from-toolbar/

just search, theres a few different sources in the news and blog searches. News I would consider more "authorative" sources though.

Apparently it's only in the "feedback" and "consideration" stage though.

Right then so they all read http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/3416514.htm at WMW

where Adam Lasnik posted

And the idea of removing PR from the toolbar... this raises some interesting questions.

And obviously Google are getting rid of the PR display!!!

I started reading that thread a couple of days ago, and quite how anybody can twist that into "Google are getting rid of the PR display" is beyond me.
Maybe they should start writing science fiction with the imagination they must have.

Apparently it's only in the "feedback" and "consideration" stage though.

Actually I would say it's neither of those.

Google's Adam Lasnk is asking people for input on how to make PageRank more useful. These include being useful to webmasters and non-webmasters alike.

Allow me access to all PageRank data so that I can improve my PageRank marker quality. This is first and foremost on every Googler's priority list.

All that external PageRank has served to do is to create a false marketplace among those who buy, sell, trade, and generally screw with links for SEO purposes. The only thing that would make PageRank more useful would be simply to get rid of it, and replace it with nothing. Why nothing? Because there is no metric that Google could provide that idiots would not try to manipulate.

KILL IT. KILLLLLLLLL IIIIIIIIIIIIT.

Originally Posted by Jeoru

Look at Google's new guidelines and you'll see that buying/selling and trading links violate the rules and may result into some consequences.

But it doesn't say what those consequences might be ... complete removal from the index is a pretty extreme jump from what Google has actually written.

Originally Posted by ForrestCroce

But it doesn't say what those consequences might be ... complete removal from the index is a pretty extreme jump from what Google has actually written.

Yes, but don't you think buying/selling links is the reason why Text Link Ads isn't on the first page any more for the search term "text link ads"?