Page rank is a number assigned to a web page as a measure of how much authority or relevancy that page has as determined by Google. The algorithm is partly based on the quantity and quality of links from other web pages as well as the nature of the content itself. Page rank has a range from 0 to 10, 10 being the pages with the highest authority. Understanding which factors influence page rank can help a site owner increase a page rank which will usually result in higher listings within the search engine results for that page.

As a site owner, if you focus on creating high quality content, you have a much better chance of getting noticed by other site owners. Networking online with like-minded individuals brings opportunities to not only exchange links, but find quality content you can link to and from which you can receive links. This is a proactive step and with that relationship of trust, there are opportunities for “guest posting” with a built in link back as well. If you create quality content, site owners love the opportunity to have free content created for them. A link is an easy thing to trade in an exchange for a high quality article.

As an example, if you have a site that focuses on web hosting topics, developing a relationship with other site owners in a similar niche that may not be in direct competition would be a beneficial approach. You could comment a on another site’s blog post, add something insightful and get noticed by the site owner. Doing this over time will help establish a solid relationship and then requesting through a contact form if the site owner would be willing to have a guest post. If your site is about joomla hosting reviews , you could find a related site about dedicated server hosting options or another type of site with a complementary topic.

Developing a graphic, info-graphic, video, or some other content on your site that creates value will also help generate links. This works as well for controversial topics, but unless controversy is the objective of your site or specific page, it may be worth avoiding. When this type of media goes “viral”, there are plenty of blogs, forums or other web pages that will post a link to this content. Each one of these links represents an increase to the authority or relevancy of the page being referenced.

Creating a link wheel can be another great way to establish authority and increase page rank. This is done by creating 6 or more “mini-sites” with topical content, similar to the content on the target page. Each of these mini-sites will link to both the next site in the wheel as well as the target page. These supporting sites can also receive links from separate “wheels”, from social bookmarking sites, or both. The search engines then see that these sites all link to one central place and the authority and relevancy of that site is increased. As you develop your site and focus on value, the increased page rank will be a natural result of your efforts.

Keep in mind that page rank is a byproduct of producing valuable content and not necessarily the end goal. Page rank alone is nothing but a number. The activities you engage in to increase your relevancy and authority on your chosen topic are going to be responsible for increasing your audience, traffic, and profit opportunities.

Ciara Sawyer is a contributor writer for Web Hosting Search – a web hosting comparison guide with only one objective; bringing you the best web hosting plans possible.