PageRank - What is it and how does it work?

What is PageRank?

PageRank, or PR, is a numeric value from 0 - 10 that is assigned to every page on a website. This system was named for Larry Page, one of the founders of Google. It is one of the many ways that Google uses to calculate how to rank a page within a website.

How does it work?

Google figures that when one page links to another page, it is effectively casting a vote for the other page. The more
votes that are cast for the page, the more important it must be. Also the importance of the page that is casting the vote determines how important the vote itself is. Google calculates a page's importance from the votes cast for it. How important each vote is is taken into account when a page's PageRank is calculated.

Google Toolbar 7

The best way to check your pages PR is to install a Google Toolbar in your browser. This tool is available only for
Internet Explorer or Firebox.