Google PageRank Checker: Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough for Beginners—
Understanding PageRank and how to check it can help you make smarter SEO decisions. This guide explains what PageRank is, why it mattered historically, how it’s used today, and gives a clear, step‑by‑step walkthrough for checking link authority using modern PageRank‑style tools beginners can use.
What is PageRank?
PageRank is a link‑analysis algorithm originally developed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It assigns a numerical weight to web pages to represent their relative importance based on incoming links. Early on, PageRank was a central part of Google’s ranking signals; a page with many high‑quality inbound links would typically earn a higher PageRank.
Today, Google no longer publicly updates or shows a simple PageRank score, but the underlying concept—measuring link authority and trust—remains central to SEO. Many third‑party tools provide PageRank‑style metrics (sometimes called Domain Authority, Page Authority, or Link Score) that serve similar purposes for analysis.
Why check PageRank or PageRank‑style metrics?
- Identify high‑value pages for outreach or link building.
- Evaluate potential guest post or partnership opportunities.
- Track changes in your site’s link profile after campaigns.
- Prioritize pages for internal linking and content updates.
These metrics are proxies—not exact Google PageRank values—but they’re useful for comparative analysis.
Tools you can use (modern equivalents)
- Moz Link Explorer (Domain Authority, Page Authority)
- Ahrefs (Domain Rating, URL Rating)
- SEMrush (Authority Score)
- Majestic (Trust Flow, Citation Flow)
- Small SEO Tools / free PageRank checkers (varied reliability)
- Browser extensions that surface link metrics in the toolbar
Pick a tool based on budget and needed depth: Moz/Ahrefs/SEMrush/Majestic for professional research; free checkers for casual, quick checks.
Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough
Below is a beginner‑friendly process you can follow, using free and paid options. Steps assume you want to evaluate both a single page and a whole domain.
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Define your objective
Decide whether you’re checking one page, comparing multiple pages, auditing a domain, or evaluating link prospects. This determines which metric and tool are most useful. -
Choose a tool and create an account (if needed)
- For casual checks: use a free PageRank‑style checker or a browser extension.
- For deeper analysis: sign up for Moz, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Majestic (they offer trials).
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Locate the page(s) or domain to check
Gather the exact URLs or the root domain (example: https://example.com). For multiple pages, prepare a list in a CSV. -
Run the check
- In Moz: paste the URL into Link Explorer to get Page Authority and Domain Authority.
- In Ahrefs: use Site Explorer for URL Rating and Domain Rating.
- In SEMrush: use the Domain Overview for Authority Score.
- In Majestic: check Trust Flow and Citation Flow.
- With free checkers: paste the URL and submit.
- Interpret the results
- Higher numbers generally indicate stronger link profiles.
- Compare Page Authority (PA) vs Domain Authority (DA): a high DA but low PA on a specific URL suggests the domain is strong but the page lacks links.
- Look at ratios (e.g., Trust Flow/Citation Flow) to assess link quality vs quantity.
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Look deeper at backlink data
Use the tool’s backlink lists to inspect referring domains, anchor text, and follow/nofollow status. Identify high‑quality referring sites you could replicate. -
Export and document findings
Export CSVs or take screenshots. Track metrics over time to measure improvements. -
Take action based on findings
- Prioritize outreach to sites linking to competitors.
- Improve internal linking to boost specific pages.
- Refresh or expand content on low‑PA pages with high DA.
Interpreting common metrics (quick reference)
- Domain Authority (DA) / Domain Rating (DR): overall strength of a domain’s backlink profile.
- Page Authority (PA) / URL Rating (UR): strength of an individual page’s backlinks.
- Trust Flow / Citation Flow: Trust Flow measures link quality; Citation Flow measures link quantity.
- Authority Score: composite metric used by SEMrush.
Higher ≠ perfect — always inspect source links manually to confirm relevance and quality.
Practical examples
Example: You check https://example-blog.com/post-1 and see DA 55, PA 22. That suggests the domain is authoritative but the post itself lacks links. You might:
- Add internal links from high‑PA pages on your site.
- Outreach to sites that link to similar posts on competitors.
- Improve content to make it linkworthy (data, unique insights, visuals).
Example: Competitor’s page shows UR 60 with many referring domains from niche sites. Replicate their content angle and pitch to the same referrers.
Common beginner mistakes
- Relying solely on a single metric — use multiple signals.
- Confusing correlation with causation — high authority doesn’t guarantee ranking for every keyword.
- Ignoring on‑page relevance and technical SEO — links are one part of ranking.
Quick checklist for your first audit
- [ ] Choose tool and create account.
- [ ] Compile list of target URLs/domains.
- [ ] Check DA/PA (or equivalents).
- [ ] Export backlink lists.
- [ ] Identify top referring domains and pages.
- [ ] Plan 3 outreach or internal‑link actions.
Conclusion
While Google no longer exposes the original PageRank score publicly, PageRank‑style metrics from modern SEO tools remain valuable for assessing link authority and making strategic decisions. Use them as proxies, combine multiple tools, and always validate link quality by checking sources manually.
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