PageRank on Ecommerce Sites
PageRank has been an extremely important algorithm up Google’s sleeve for the past 20 years. Created in 1998, the original algorithm used the number of links pointing to a web page to determine the value of that web page. Like we saw in class, PageRank also depends on the quality of the pages linking to the page of interest. Google then uses the PageRank to determine how high or low to list web pages on search results. Of course, the algorithm is much more complicated than it seems and Google is constantly making changes to the algorithm to ensure people can’t abuse it and wrongly appear higher on search results.
In the article cited below, Jill Kocher argues the importance of PageRank in Ecommerce sites. Kocher argues that in order to create a successful Ecommerce site, one must build lots of authority in the home page. Likewise, due to the natural format of Ecommerce type sites, the home page generally has many links to subsequent product categories increasing its authority. As you can see in the diagram below
,
subsequent categories on an Ecommerce site cascade down into more specific links. As you navigate lower into these specific pages, the PageRank would decrease. As a result, these pages are much more obscure and harder to find.
For an Ecommerce site, exposure is what is going to keep the business alive. By having a high PageRank, we ensure that people are able to find the site very easily. Kocher argues that because of the natural structure of the typical Ecommerce site, it is very important for the home page to have extremely high PageRank due to the naturally lower PageRank of more specific pages. It is possible, however, for more specific pages to have a higher PageRank if they’re mentioned a lot elsewhere on the internet. By having a good marketing plan, Kocher explains that pages such as shareable tools or guides can actually have a lot more authority than the home page.
Regardless of the website, PageRank is a very important aspect to keep in mind to ensure business growth and longevity. Recently, Google announced that PageRank will no longer be publicly viewable. Due to this, more caution and research must be taken with Internet businesses to ensure success.
http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/93924-SEO-How-Google-PageRank-Works-on-an-Ecommerce-Site