TL;DR

PageRank is the foundational link-scoring algorithm Google uses to decide which pages are important. More high-quality backlinks = higher PageRank = better ranking potential.

Key Points

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PageRank is logarithmic — a page with PageRank 5 is not 5x but exponentially more authoritative than PageRank 4

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Google no longer publishes public PageRank scores but the algorithm still runs internally as part of a much larger ranking system

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PageRank flows through links — each outbound link on a page passes a fraction of that page's PageRank to the linked page

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PageRank dilution: adding more outbound links to a page distributes its PageRank thinner across all linked destinations

How PageRank Works

PageRank was invented by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford in 1996 and became the foundation of Google Search^[1]. The algorithm treats every link from one page to another as a vote — the more votes (links) a page receives, and the higher the PageRank of the pages voting, the higher its own PageRank. The system is recursive: a link from a high-PageRank page is worth far more than a link from a low-PageRank page. This is why earning backlinks from authoritative domains (high Domain Authority sites) matters so much for SEO.

PageRank and Modern SEO

While Google retired the publicly visible PageRank toolbar in 2016, the underlying algorithm still powers Google's internal link-based ranking signals^[1]^[2]. Modern proxies for PageRank include Moz's Domain Authority, Ahrefs' Domain Rating, and URL Rating (page-level). These third-party metrics are not identical to PageRank but correlate with it. Practically speaking, building more quality backlinks from authoritative pages still increases a page's ability to rank — the link equity transferred is PageRank under a different name.

PageRank Flow and Internal Linking

PageRank doesn't just travel through external backlinks — it flows through internal links too^[2]. A highly-linked homepage passes PageRank to the pages it links to; those pages pass it further. This is why pillar pages linked from the homepage rank more easily than orphaned blog posts with no internal links. Deliberate Internal Linking architecture — ensuring your most important pages receive the most internal links — is one of the highest-ROI technical SEO optimizations you can make without building a single external link.

SOURCES

Ahrefs — Google PageRank: What It Is and How It Works

Google Search Central — How Google Search Works

Last updated: June 9, 2026

Related Terms

Domain Authority

A third-party score (0–100) developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results pages based on its backlink profile.

Backlink

A hyperlink from one website pointing to a page on another website, used by search engines as a signal of authority and trust.

Internal Linking

Links from one page on your website to another page on the same website — used to help users navigate, distribute link equity (PageRank) between pages, and signal to search engines the relative importance and topical relationships of your content.

Link Equity

The SEO value and ranking power passed from one page to another through hyperlinks — sometimes called 'link juice' — determining how much of a linking page's authority is transferred to the pages it links to.

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