SEO glossary · Updated
Google PageRank: what it is and whether it still matters
PageRank is the link analysis system Google launched with: it estimates a page's importance from the number and importance of pages linking to it.
Founder, SEO·AEO·GEO
Builds SEO·AEO·GEO and writes the crawler, schema, and citation research published here.
PageRank is the algorithm Google was founded on. It treats a link from one page to another as a vote, and gives more weight to votes from pages that are themselves important. Google describes PageRank as "one of our core ranking systems used when Google first launched".
It's still part of Google's link analysis systems, but it's one signal among hundreds. Google's SEO Starter Guide says PageRank uses links but is only one of many ranking signals.
Why you can't see PageRank anymore
Google used to show a 0 to 10 PageRank score in its browser toolbar. It stopped updating that public score years ago and then removed it. Any site offering to "check your Google PageRank" today is showing its own estimate, not Google's number.
Third-party metrics
| Metric | Made by | What it estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Rating / URL Rating | Ahrefs | Strength of a site's or page's backlink profile |
| Authority Score | Semrush | Overall domain quality from links and traffic |
| Domain Authority / Page Authority | Moz (which also had the older MozRank) | Likelihood of ranking, from link data |
| Trust Flow / Citation Flow | Majestic | Link quality and quantity |
These are useful for comparing sites, but none of them is used by Google.
What to do with this
- Earn links from relevant, important pages; see link building.
- Link to your important pages from your own homepage and navigation.
- Don't chase a third-party score for its own sake. Rankings come from many signals, including content and technical quality.
Check it on your own site
What the free audit tests for this
- Internal links
One URL, about 20 seconds, no login. You get the result of every check and the exact fix for the top three issues.
Audit your website freeFAQ
Does Google still use PageRank?+
Yes. Google lists link analysis systems and PageRank in its guide to ranking systems, alongside many other systems.
How can I check my PageRank?+
You can't; Google no longer publishes PageRank scores. Third-party tools offer their own link-based metrics instead.
What was MozRank?+
A Moz metric modelled on PageRank. Moz's main link metrics today are Domain Authority and Page Authority.
Sources
- A guide to Google Search ranking systems — Google Search Central
- SEO Starter Guide — Google Search Central (2025-12-10)