Artist - thank you for your response. So what you are saying is that: dont care what PR it has, yet just buy targeted / related links?
i learn't a lot these couple few days, thanks!

All I'm really saying is don't look at PR in isolation. In fact don't look at one thing about a site in isolation. Is it better to have a link from a PR9 site than a PR0 site? Probably. Maybe. I don't really know. You can't really know from PR alone.

There are a lot of factors that go into determining where a page will rank for a given query. PR is probably in there somewhere when that determination is made, but it's not the only thing.

My favorite way to get links is to create some hopefully useful content on my site and have people link to it naturally. Generally when you do that the links you get are honest citations and will typically come from a related site. Get enough links that way and your overall link profile is very natural and search engines won't see your site as trying to manipulate anything.

Eric Ward who's pretty well know and knowledgeable about link building wrote an article yesterday on the pros and cons of buying links and it's a good read.

My view is the same as his. There's nothing wrong with buying links, but you shouldn't be buying links looking for any benefit from search engines. The links you buy may help improve where your pages rank and they may not. The reason to buy links is because the site you buy them from gets traffic that is likely interested in your site as well. You buy links looking for targeted traffic directly through the link you purchase.

There's nothing in that where PR is meaningful. Say there's a site with advice on how to find a web designer. That's a site I might want to buy a link from because the audience on that site is probably looking to hire a web designer. It would be good for me to be in front of them at the moment they are looking. It would make no difference to me if that site was PR0. The traffic would still be in my target market.

On the other hand a dating site with a PR9 isn't one where it make much sense for me to purchase a link. It's unlikely that people looking for a date are also looking to hire a web designer at the same time. I doubt they'd click on the link.

Think about what it is you really want to happen on your site. You probably want someone to buy something or sign up for something. Would you rather have 10 people visit and 5 of them buy or 100 people visit and 1 of them buy?

If you go after targeted links from related sites you have a better chance of getting more of the people who see the link convert on your site.

i am sorry to say this, yet: that article is full of ****. and leave that **** there, it has a nice sounds effect . Look, if what he is saying is true, than i can just come up and say: any link that you get, inluding this signiture link right below this -will get you banned from google. If you agree, artist, and you must, becasue you said yourself - than why do you have links in your sig? wouldnt you say that getting a link from a home page is LESS suspicious than having one in a deep spot, such as this? Also, this guy, although i was taught by my mother to respect other's knowelege, yet that is full of nonsense! look man: let me prove this SEO person right here wrong: he says that you buy links to get targeted traffic, which is good. Yet on the other hand, he says that when buying links - your SERP wont change, and that you might get banned. First - show me a proof from google, not 'matt cuts' the great. Also - is both cases, either when buying link for traffic, or links for SERP - he says that a LINK will get you banned. now you are gona come up and say - "a lot of link with the same kind enchor text will do the trick" yet you have 4.5k posts! with the same link in all of them! To conclude: i dont agree with you on that article stuff. Proven results that link do work: go search ontario playground equipment, than come take a look at my sig link. Or search: Site furniture: #10 in google - THAN come up to me and say that links will get you baneed / not work for serp results. coclusion: he is BSing u i think i made my point. if you have a way out of this, please do share. thanks! Roy.

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Only to the idiots who think it's important.

Especially if those idiots are willing to offer more money (for the higher page rank) when buying or advertising on the site.

Originally Posted by roy77

artist - you have ONLY $20 - one PR5, one PR6
PR5 - $15 / 3 months
PR6 - $20 / 3 month

which one would you buy?

Neither. If I only had $20, I'd probably look for ways to end up increasing the stash so that I could buy more and better stuff.

Seriously, as far as this goes, I wouldn't buy either just because of PageRank. I wouldn't buy ANY link just because of PageRank.

There's only one reason to buy a link that is justified on any level, SEO or otherwise: the ROI for the link is greater than its purchase price. In other words, I'd buy the $15 over the $20 link IF I felt the $15 would generate me more money and the PR would be ignored.

As far as ranking for "ontario *" (wildcard symbol, for those not in the know), I've lived in Ontario all of my life and I've been doing web design here for almost 9 years now. And there are three things that I know about the web design industry in Ontario.

1) Ontario web designers generally know bugger all about design.
2) Ontario web designers generally know even LESS about SEO.
3) Anyone who doesn't fall under 1) and/or 2) generally wouldn't target "Ontario" as a keyword, since their products/services would be better marketed to the major regions and cities (Toronto, Ottawa, Barrie, Hamilton, Kitchener, Waterloo, London, Windsor, etc. and so on) OR they'd be marketed nationally/internationally and thus would be generic.

So...what does this mean? You're targeting something no one else gives a **** about and probably will generate a sum total of $0.00 in revenue. Big deal. If vangogh, Hirst, myself, or any one of about 50 others wanted it, we could get it too.

There's more to SEO than just PageRank (and more importantly, there's more to a well-built website than just PageRank.) Some people will just never get it though and believe otherwise.

roy I think you need to reread the article and this time really read it.

Also Adam is exactly right. Neither of those phrases is particularly competitive. If you want, try ranking for something like 'real estate' and see how those links do. You've ranked for something that's not competitive and made the assumption the same tactics will work for anything. Not true.

You're trying to offer proof that links work. You won't get any argument from anyone here. We all know links are good. I'm not sure where you saw anyone say that links are bad. Again I refer you back to the article you think you read. It doesn't say what you think it says.

first off: "adam web design" - i will call you the desinger, just like i can vangh "artist". to my point: Let me first say that you are making a very uneducated guess. I am the one making the keyword research, and i can asure you that it brought at least 2 leads. please see that the industry is summer based, and i am SURE, that more leads and $$ would come up. Second, i know i started the whole conversation about the site, but i would not like to talk about the business, as competing SEO companies working for theother side can track this post by the link. You can trust me although, that the keyword is perfect! no / barley any competion, and going local is good. Also - i would type in ottawa (3rd page) /toronto (page 1) playground equipent and see what comes up please - although i am 15, i would be more than happy if you can send SEO tips via PM and give me tips! it would be very much appriciated. Going back to the artist: i will indeed read the article again - yet maybe you should too i like the excitement going on here, at this thread. Thanks for your responses and please - if u got a tip - PLEASE, i would be more than happy to accept it. thanks, Roy.

Originally Posted by parusa619

Hmmm, I said, at times, I didn't say PR is that important. Meaning, some people requests for link exchanges with high PR, or let's say sites having a PR, but not that high. I aim for traffic because in your opinion, which I respect, PR will not get high traffic. PR, in my opinion, is like a reputation found in forums and message boards that are voted by others.

Yes to a certain degree by many webmasters it is considered reputation. However its not real reputation. It is what people think you are. Real reputation is when your known for something.

in my opinion , every jump after pr 5 is a big jump

What would you guys call a decent page rank, like is a 3 PR decent or is that stilll bad or maybe that is good?

I think we can all agree that the difference between a PR5 and a PR6 is "1".
But seriously, forget PR!!!

Originally Posted by parusa619

PR can be important at times, it is used for trading services like link exchange and selling sites.

How is trading and selling links a "service?"

How is trading and selling links a "service?"

People buying links for SEO reasons get screwed over, thus making the SEO link seller a prostitute.

PIMPIN' AIN'T E-Z!