Ode To The Google PageRank Obsession

Website owners, webmasters, and people who specialize in search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) tend to be an obsessive bunch, perpetually checking stats  in their quest for better numbers. What do improved numbers mean?  In theory, they beget better placement in search engine results pages (SERPS), more sales, and higher ad rates.

This obsession tends to reach a frenzied peak roughly four times a year, when Google’s Toolbar is updated, and you learn if your latest PageRank has risen or (heaven forbid) dropped. And while some may claim that they don’t care about PageRank, nobody believes them.

In honor of Google PageRank update season, which apparently is upon us, I’ve written this limerick:

Ode To The Google PageRank Obsession
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Google PageRank obsession is back,
‘Cause an update is due, which we track.
Have our efforts paid off?
Although many will scoff,
We need proof that we’re leading the pack.

(You can find more of my computer and technology humor and limericks here, including my song parody Webmaster’s SEO Complaint.)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

4 Responses to “Ode To The Google PageRank Obsession”

  1. Chris says:

    I’m not that obsessed about pagerank, but I am a recovering hitcounter addict. I used to check it incessantly, leaving the window on my desktop and refreshing it every few minutes. I could even identify my regular readers by their ip addresses.
    I’m doing much better now. I only checking it once, maybe twice an hour.

  2. madkane says:

    Ha! I confess to the same addiction to Sitemeter. And I’m not even close to recovering. :)

  3. Diesel says:

    I’m down to checking Statcounter twice a day now.

    Maybe three times.

  4. Angie says:

    I *wish* I would become more obsessed. I desire the page rank, yet lack the motivation to work for it. If I were actually obsessed, it might light a fire under the proverbial ass.