How I Got My Google PageRank Back After 16 Months
Posted by Mert Erkal on Apr 7, 2009 in Search Engine Optimization | 18 comments
When looking at the title of this post one may think that I was sleepless during the last 16 months just because my blog’s PageRank was 0. Frankly speaking I really don’t care about Google PageRank. Because I still made significant money despite my blog’s PR was 0 during that time. However, it is quite obvious that most of my readers and potential advertisers still care about PageRank more than I can ever dream of. Therefore I am happy that yesterday Google kissed my blog and blessed it with a PR3.
This post is written for the bloggers who are in a very similar situation. If I can recover back after 16 months of struggling, you can also make it. Here comes the secret formula.
No Retreat, No Surrender
Secret formula?? My formula is only four words long: “no retreat, no surrender”.
When my blog got penalized by Google, even some SEO masters told me to move to another domain. Check this one as a good example: Free SEO for my blog Searchforblogging dot com
But I did not lose my hope, and tried so many different techniques to get it back throughout this period. I summarized my efforts in this post before: How To Prepare Your Blog For The Next Google PageRank Update?
Also my blog’s Search Engine Optimization category is full of useful tips, and information on SEO for blogs and PageRank recovery. I strongly suggest you to read this section, and apply basic SEO techniques to your blog immediately.
If you are in a very simular situation, you can follow this step by step guide:
- Try to identify why your blog got penalized by Google: Have you subscribed to pay per post programs recently? Do you sell text links? Did you use any duplicate content? Is your blog’s HTML codes are valid? Even though Google may penalize your blog for other reasons, it is better to know the real problem.
- Take Action: Unsubscribe from any pay per post programs. Remove duplicate content from your blog. Use Markup Validation Service to scan your blog for possible HTML coding problems, and immediately correct them.
- Increase Backlinks: Increasing your blog’s backlinks is one of the best things you can do to recover your blog’s PageRank. Backlink Factory is a reliable source you can refer on building backlinks to your blog.
- Apply for a reconsideration: Read this post carefully, and learn How to get reconsidered for PageRank after Google penalization
You know we are in the middle of the last Google PageRank update. How about your blog’s PageRank? Are you satisfied with your blog’s current PageRank? Have your say.
Man, you stuck with it longer than I did. I had one site that took a couple of years to recover because I abandoned it. But it’s good you got yours back Mert. It’s good to know you can get it back without waiting years.
I did not know this Stephan. Thanks for sharing.
i have the same problem with my blog. my PG changed 3 to 1. and it demoralized me. =(
hope i can get it back, like your Mert. thanks..
awe man blog engage lost a pr and is now at 3! we were sitting at 4 but I found out why!
Dead links leading to blogs that didn’t exist anymore! I’m taking hours and hours cleaning each category visiting all pages ever submitted. This is for both the upcoming and published.
Congrats on the increase Mert it’s well deserved!
Good job Mert. My blog went from a PR3 to a PR0 about 12-15 months ago.
I have done everything I can think of to get it back but no matter what I do it still hasn’t returned.
My blog is indexed well by Google so I am not sure what the issue is. All outbound links are nofollow except for repeat commentators.
I think my issue was acquiring too many backlinks too quickly. Imgine, penalized for putting in a lot of hard work to get backlinks only to get penalized for it.
I would never recommend to anyone to use a script or program to acquire backlinks, this has to be the worst advice ever.
Anyways, congrats, but don’t use anything automated to acquire backlinks.
Geoserve it might be what you said!
http://www.blogserp.com
the above website I own and it’s 4 months old and still not cached! I’m thinking the same as you. We were acquiring too many backlinks too quickly and Google doesn’t like that.
Yeah, I went from a 4 to a 3…and, happy that I got my 4 back the other day after 6 months. Advertisers and sponsors do care, as it’s one of the only guarantees they have that our posts end up near the front of google searches, thereby increasing the chances that their ads will be seen. It’s just the way it is I guess, because they can’t always have a guarantee of traffic amount on sites in which they advertise.
Yeah Pentad, I think you mentioned a very good point. It is an important parameter from their point of view. I am glad you got it back. Cheers!
I gradually went from 3 to 1…
don’t care much, but as you said, people do.. so I’ll have to do something about it…
Hi Alex, I duly understand you. I mentioned all the things I did to recover my PageRank back in my blog. I hope you get it back until the next update.
thanks for this info actually my blog was pr3 after it's recent update it drops to zero now i'm on a mission to get it back again i'm so happy to have subscribe to your feeds
It is my pleasure!
just have to keep on keeping on. Never surrender, Great work!
PR is quite funny, one of my forum refuse to leave PR2 despite the great quality links it has gotten over how many moths now the PR is just static but my new blog of 7 months old is PR3 with few backlinks.
I will check out and see if your mentioned guide may be the course or other wise probably G gives more weight to blogs
There is always a reason sites lose their page rank, if you can get to the bottom of the reason it can always help. The unfortunate fact is that we are all at the menace of the the big G. The best advice here is from Luis, you have just got to keep on trying and adding that importnat content to your site. Glad to hear you got your rank back, nice post.
Hello I’m itching to know if I may use this post on one of my blogs if I link back to you? Thanks
Sure you can use it. Thanks for asking
Good luck Kimberly