Does PageRank Still Matter for SEO?

June 02, 2025

Once upon a time, PageRank was the metric in SEO. If your website had a high PageRank score, it meant Google saw it as important—and you probably ranked well.

But things have changed.

While PageRank still exists behind the scenes, Google no longer focuses on it the way it used to, and it’s only one of many signals used to decide what shows up in search results.

In the SEO Starter Guide, Google makes it clear: there’s much more to SEO than just links.

So let’s explore what PageRank is, how it fits into SEO today, and where your focus should be now.

What Is PageRank, Anyway?

PageRank was one of Google’s original algorithms. It looked at the number and quality of links pointing to a page. The idea was simple: if a page had lots of good links, it must be important.

Think of it like a popularity contest. Each link to your site was a “vote” of confidence.

For years, SEOs focused heavily on getting backlinks to boost PageRank. And yes—links still matter. But things have evolved.

What Google Says About PageRank Today

According to Google:

“PageRank is just one of many signals.”

That means it’s no longer the main factor—just part of a much bigger picture. Google now uses hundreds of signals to rank pages, including content quality, user experience, site speed, and mobile usability.

In fact, some tactics once used to boost PageRank—like link farms and shady directories—can now hurt your site.

This is similar to how old practices like keyword stuffing or using meta keywords don’t work anymore either.

Do Backlinks Still Matter?

Yes—but only quality backlinks from trusted sources.

Google still sees a high-quality link as a sign that your content is useful. But it's not about getting thousands of links anymore—it's about getting the right ones.

For example:

✅ A link from a respected site in your industry = valuable
🚫 A link from a spammy site full of ads = likely ignored (or worse)

So instead of chasing PageRank, focus on earning links naturally by publishing helpful, well-researched content people actually want to share.

What Else Should You Focus On?

If you want to rank well today, PageRank isn’t your strategy—it’s just a footnote. Instead, build a full SEO strategy that includes:

Clear, relevant content that answers real questions
Fast, mobile-friendly website performance
Easy navigation and clean site structure
Internal linking that helps users explore related topics
(like how duplicate content doesn’t lead to penalties, for example)

This is the kind of SEO we laid out in our beginner’s guide to SEO: holistic, user-focused, and future-proof.

What Happened to the PageRank Toolbar?

You may remember Google used to show PageRank scores in a public toolbar. That was retired in 2016.

Why? Because people started focusing on the number instead of quality—and Google didn’t want to encourage bad link-building practices.

PageRank still exists behind the scenes, but Google no longer shows it. And that tells you something: if Google doesn’t talk about it anymore, it’s probably not where your attention should be.