What is a PageRank Update?

**Matt Baker** · Feb 28th, 2007, 10:19 am

What is a PageRank Update?

A lot of people are unaware of how the PR algorithm actually works and are not aware of how Google implement changes. This post is a result of the misinformation being spread, and is based on factual info taken from reliable and trustworthy sources. This is not conjecture.

Many people refer to visible PR changes as a PR update. This is the wrong terminology to use. Yes, the values are being updated but this doesn't reflect real PR. Real PR is updated continously. Here is what Matt Cutts has to say:

What is an update? Google updates its index data, including backlinks and PageRank, continually and continuously. We only export new backlinks, PageRank, or directory data every three months or so though. (We started doing that last year when too many SEOs were suffering from “B.O.”, short for backlink obsession.) When new backlinks/PageRank appear, we’ve already factored that into our rankings quite a while ago. So new backlinks/PageRank are fun to see, but it’s not an update; it’s just already-factored-in data being exported visibly for the first time in a while.

Google also crawls and updates its index every day, so different or more index data usually isn’t an update either. The term “everflux” is often used to describe the constant state of low-level changes as we crawl the web and rankings consequently change to a minor degree. That’s normal, and that’s not an update.

Usually, what registers with an update to the webmaster community is when we update an algorithm (or its data), change our scoring algorithms, or switch over to a new piece of infrastructure. Technically Update Gilligan is just backlink/PageRank data becoming visible once more, not a real update. There haven’t been any substantial algorithmic changes in our scoring in the last few days. I’m happy to try to give weather reports when we do our update scoring/algo data though.

So, to summarize. When visible changes to PR happen, it isn't an update per se. It is just a snapshot of the real internal PR values being exported to the toolbar. PR is updated continuously and taken into consideration all the time. It is because of this that when PR is exported, it it doesn't affect rankings. The correct terminology to describe changes to visible PR is a PR export.

In another blog post, Matt confirms this:

..PageRank is computed continuously; there are machines that take inputs to the PageRank algorithm at Google and compute the resulting PageRanks. So at any given time, a url in Google’s system has up-to-date PageRank as a result of running the computation with the inputs to the algorithm. From time-to-time, that internal PageRank value is exported so that it’s visible to Google Toolbar users..

It is because of this that it is important not to take PR at face value. The visible external PR is not an accurate value of a pages real, internal PR. Matt has confirmed that PR exports take place every three months or so, and a lot can happen in three months in regards to your site and its inbound links.

So, what is an update?

The term PR update, when used correctly, refers to an actual algorithm update. This is typically a major update in the ranking algorithm that causes a large change in the SERPs. Again, Matt confirms this:

..yields changes in the search results on the larger end of the spectrum. Algorithms can change at any time, but noticeable changes tend to be less frequent

However, many people use the term PR update when refering to a PR export, thus resulting in confusion the spread of misinformation. In theory, a PR export is a PR update as values are being updated, its just incorrect terminology. As Zap explains:

Originally Posted by Zap

I think most people (webmasters who frequent webmaster forums) now know that PR is continuously updated, but, because the human animal is a lazy one, we have shortened the phrase "Toolbar PR Update" to "PR update".

Having read the above post, I'd recommend taking a look at this video by Matt to familarize yourself with some more Google terminology. It answers the following question:

What’s the difference between an index update, an algorithm update, and a data refresh?

Any worthwhile contributions to this thread will be added accordingly and credit given!

**Zap** · Feb 28th, 2007, 10:23 am

I think most people (webmasters who frequent webmaster forums) now know that PR is continuously updated, but, because the human animal is a lazy one, we have shortened the phrase "Toolbar PR Update" to "PR update".

When I'm at the fast food restaurant, I don't ask for a brown coloured soda beverage, nor do I check to see if they serve Coke or Pepsi and ask accordingly.
I just ask for a Coke.

**Matt Baker** · Feb 28th, 2007, 10:30 am

Originally Posted by Zap

When I'm at the fast food restaurant, I don't ask for a brown coloured soda beverage, nor do I check to see if they serve Coke or Pepsi and ask accordingly.
I just ask for a Coke.

Certainly, but a new worker who has led a sheltered life may be confused when asked for a "Coke". This is the problem we have, new users see a PR export being described as a PR update and assume that is the correct terminology.

**Zap** · Feb 28th, 2007, 10:32 am

Originally Posted by Matt Baker

Certainly, but a new worker who has led a sheltered life may be confused when asked for a "Coke". This is the problem we have, new users see a PR export being described as a PR update and assume that is the correct terminology.

It's all in the learning process. It also takes 'em quite a while to realize that SERPS are not connected to PR.