Turning a Negative Into a Positive

LOL! I love how you used Stephen as an example.

Yeah! Me too! Free link!

I added nofollow on one of my sites because 80% is from Google search engine. I would prefer direct traffic but it’s a new site(PR0) and I do depend on Google for now. I don’t want to be in the dog house.

You are right, I look more at the traffic when I buy advertising for a site. PR juice was just an added extra but it’s not anymore with the recent PR drop. It’s a TrafficRank we need!

Screw PageRank. Subscribers are a better measurement of value.

You make some great points, John. We think that there is too much noise in the blogosphere about PR. Then again, it seems to be the hot topic right now, but enough already!

RSS subscriptions and number of readers is what is important! The heck with your page rank (says someone who hasn’t even ranked yet! ).

You don’t need Google anymore. And does PR have anything to do with where you come up in an organic Google search anyhow?

We will roll with the punches. I am a bit ticked since I got hit on a site that doesn’t sell links. The only advertising is through YPN. The hits are down about 20% so far, but it will make it. It just stinks since it is a great earner.

It is also a site that depends heavily on search results due to the type of site.

Oh well other sites that do sell links kept their rankings. So my online earnings will keep rolling in just fine.

Google sure lost in the battle. All bloggers should now unite and start using and recommending another search engine for now. I don’t care which one… how baout Yahoo they are getting much more relevant anyway.

I think Google made this move to make Page Rank completely useless. I really don’t see how anyone can take PR seriously anymore given the example John provided above. Link sales will most likely be done based on page traffic and CTR here forward.

I have quite a few backlinks to my blog that are dofollow and yet Google doesn’t show more than a fraction of them. My blog gets hundreds of uniques daily and yet it is still a PR0.

First of all John, let me just say that this is one of the best posts you’re ever written. People’s success will only be determined by their own attitudes. I got hit too, and that sucks but it will not affect my progress, in fact yesterday was my site’s biggest day ever.

I do, however, think that people need to be more careful if they need to continue to get Google traffic. For some smaller blogs, they rely on it. This means to me that they should start coming up with other sources for traffic and they should also be somewhat careful with Google’s policies until they get there.

Your blog was already sensationally popular before you got the first slap. I think that people should keep their options open in the beginning - at least until they get their traffic base. I think what you did when Google slapped you the first time was genius, but those people who have tiny blogs that rely on the small amounts of Google traffic they get to grow should be more careful.

I get what you mean, PageRank has had no relevance to the search engine results. I wish to wait till 2008 when the world will see googles new search marketing engine algorithm. People are gonna get BOMBED outta this world.

A year ago I didn’t even know what PageRank was and I wish I still didn’t know. I think PR and Alexa and any other site tracking stat machine can’t replace true traffic. I don’t rely on any of these mechanisms to begin with…I just write what i write and let the traffic come on its own.

Google PR is overrated in the first place.

You could just have many friends and many links and get high PR even if you have lousy content.

Does this mean Google has released the new page rankings?

As much as I hate the passion with which most follow PR, I don’t think its something we can just all of a sudden say doesn’t matter anymore.

It was (and still is) the foundation of one of the largest companies on the planet. It’s still a very important factor in judging quality on the web.

For those interested, you can still read Sergei and Larry’s paper on the Stanford site:
http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html

Good for you John as I know we can always count on you to lead us to the right dirrection for making money online. Thanks for the great post.

Saying a site deserves to go under is too much. I hope there is no one out there dependent on the added income their site may provide. Who knows, maybe some guy on disability with a family to feed, mortgage to pay, etc…

There’s something more deeper than just selling ad links. Many bloggers have stated that they don’t sell ad links, yet they’ve been penalized too. So either Google is dropping PageRanks at random. Or there’s more to it than just selling ad links. Only Google knows.

Wow, that is awesome to hear John. Go JChow! The root of evil that cannot be stopped! even by Google.

What happened to good old views per month? Isnt it more relevant how many see (click) your ad/link then how cool the site is that shows it?

Id rather buy a space that gives me
$1.000 in business than $10k in ‘props’

Why people so care about their PR? For ads. bargaining? For fame? For Google donation? … Just ignore this irrelevant thing! Concentrate on your own contents and concentrate on your businesses (selling or selling links)! Your efforts will be reflected in the future.

Totally agree wih every situation has two sides. My blog (adsense-tw.com) is banned by Google because the domain using Google Trade Mark. Without Google AdSense, I sell my ad spots directly. I didn’t expect to sell any of the ad spots but I do sell some of the spots. Moreover, I write more paid review and make more money than before. Without Google AdSense, I still can make money online. That is how I turn a negative into a positive!

John I couldn’t agree with you more on this issue. I wrote an article similar on my blog. Basically PR is really irrelevant. Social networking is what its all about. By the way, when will you let me do an interview with you?

There are all kinds of ways to determine how much to pay for advertising, and when it comes down to it, PageRank is definitely not one of the best ones. If someone wants to purchase advertising then here’s what I recommend for them: Look at the site’s RSS subscriber count, the traffic amounts, and the number of comments the site’s articles receive. After looking at those, you can start glancing over the less reliable methods of finding out how “great” a site is and check out the Alexa, Technorati, etc.

Google is stupid and needs to get their act together. Let’s boycott Google. (Like that’d ever work in the least bit).

John, you have a great site. Hopefully the big G has something positive planned to offset all the negative changes lately. As always, keep up the good work JC!!

In the great scheme of things, did any of you think that in your lifetime you would be even discussing your blog’s PR? I began blogging on Typepad knowing that I had to pay for it each month, with no thought or knowledge of PR. By the time I began my second blog iPentimento, I had made enough to pay for a year of my own WordPress blog. What I haven’t gained in $$ I have gained in knowledge and experience.

My blog Pentimento dropped from a PR4 to a 3, but all it meant was that PayPerPost opps will be less lucrative. Ah gee! I don’t blog for income though, and if someone is doing that, then they have to know there are risks.

Quality posts will always be more relevant, and pay off more monetarily, than having your PR determined by the Google Gestapo.

I like your take on this situation….too bad many don’t have the same attitude as you do.

Site going under? Screw that and get on with things.

If you are looking for an amazing ad program go to “widgetbucks.modulehoster.com”.

If you use this link you can get pay per click ads and you start with a balance of $25!

PR may not matter for you John, but it makes a lot of difference to me. I rely on search engine thaffic

Google aims at dominating its market position by making blogs and websites dependent on its services. I think the authorities should make concerted efforts at encouraging rival companies to have a similar ranking scheme basically to promote fairplay….otherwise Google will continue playing with the figures

I think the only people who care about PR at all are those who making money by taking advantage of naive people who will pay more for a link based on an amost meaningless number. We care about $$$, which comes from actual traffic, not PR. I have PR0 sites that make more than PR6 sites, and I have sites with few links that make money.

Well done John, keep up the good work.

That is the most stimulating blog that I have seen in the recent past. I too think that a lot of noise is being made on a matter of no consequence. I suspect that it is a matter of pride on the PR number rather than any practical reason.

I also expect google to come out with a statement shortly. All this negativity must be getting to them!

I don’t think that the Google Page Rank downgrade has hit you very hard. I can see more links are being sold now, even after the downgrade. People want your readers, not your Page Rank I guess…

For John Chow its easy because of the traffic he gets. But for those people after making some decent amount of traffic and are still not there yet, its a hard way to get some links sold now. A lot of people have that thing in their head where pagerank makes you more relevant in results but I guess Google is trying to dispel that.

Don’t feel bad John , Pagerank is FUBAR and I can prove it. The kid that runs phpbbhacks.com, I give him due respect of course BUT, all he has to do to get a PR5 site is link a domain to his network. Check this out, he doesn’t even DO ANYTHING with the sites but they get PR5 anyway. http://www.soulgaze.com/ is one example, PR5 baby but still says “Hello World, this is my blog” and WORSE is that there is no content AND 10 text-link-ads sold.

50% of his sites are amazon affiliates running adsense, most PR6, not only that but he has one of those adsense accounts that let you alter the code to test new units that most of us can’t get. The top right section of his personal blog LOOKS like a menu, its all adsense WITHOUT the “ads by Google”.

Please do a write up on this guy as an example and give Google what they deserve… a strong tap on the shoulder letting them know were watching them too. I GUARANTEE you’ll find 20 other unfair things, this kid is their poster boy of testing and carte blanche because he’s not 18 yet.

john, i knew it will never affect you in the first place..coz you are not doing any ppp or…others similar things accept selling ur text link and others banner ads and always remember about your say, Readers first google come second hahahh thanks for the words!

Anyone got a list of the big sites going under because of this ?

It doesn’t matter how google behaves. Your blog has been one of the finest blog I have come across. I am sure come what may your readers won’t leave you.

True, that PR is not going to affect John or may be others too. but think of PR, it is not something you want to throw away. There are lots of advertisers who still evaluate you on the basis of PR or give importance to PR.

John you are really strong and very confident. That’s great!!!

Well said John. I’m new to blogging, but from all I’ve read about Google….I won’t plan on having them be a major part of my earnings, in the long run. It may take me longer but it will be worth it. While I’m using them to keep going, I’ll find other alternatives. If I wanted someone telling me what to do, I wouldn’t be attempting monetized blogging in the first place. Why don’ we all just go apply for a job at Google?
If you ask me Google’s gotten “too big for their britches.” A collective “slap” wouldn’t hurt them either. Like John says leverage your revenue. Never put too many eggs in one basket.

I am new to blogging for an audience as well but it looks like the Google downgrade actually helped you more than it hurt you.

I think the only people who care about PR at all are those who making money by taking advantage of naive people who will pay more for a link based on an amost meaningless number. We care about $$$, which comes from actual traffic, not PR. - Jack @ 2007-10-25 23:41:53

Now THAT I agree! When you have good content or a decent reader base already, there’s nothing to worry about PR.

Agreed, a very nice post John.

I still think Google is very important, for you John too!
Btw. reading the Agloco blog there is a comment by someone who use your name for a blog at:
http://www.aglocojohnchow.blogspot.com/
I hope it’s not you
But as he claims only 2000 members i’m quiet sure he is just using your name. i left a comment on the agloco blog (isn’t really a blog… just a place for spammers nowadays)
bests,

Rob

One thing that Google can not take away is traffic that is already there from loyal readers. Linkbacks to interesting articles will continue to be posted on blogs and websites. Google sells advertizing but does not want others ot do so. Soon a class action suit for having monopoly will start. As long as you network you will have traffic.

Just waiting for the new criteria people will use to decide what they are willing to pay for ads and links.

That`s funny. I`ve got a blog in Polish and we share Page Rank 2/10. I started it in September. Do you need any advice ?

I really don’t understand all this talk about ‘Google penalizing’ sites with lower page ranks. Google has simply changed the way in which it page ranks. If advertisers use that to determine how much they should pay for ad’s, then (as it appears completely useless as a guide–as shown in the example above), the they should be using something else; perhaps something more objective: quality of content, etc., rather than a number from Google.

Good article, btw.

I have better or same PR on all of my sites after PR update. But it doesn’t matter. My traffic and reneuve haven’t grown up.

Lol dont be so harsh with Stephen, we all like his impreza!

Yep. My blog PR went south, but I ain’t gonna sit down

John, I have been reading your blog last couple of weeks and enjoy every bit. Thanks.