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Google is by far the #1 search engine with 70% of market share according to stats from compete.com. Yahoo! is next with 15.7%, MSN 8.4%, Ask 3.7% and AOL with 1.8%.

PageRank is a link analysis algorithm that Google uses to "rank" element of a linked set of documents, such as website or the entire World Wide Web, with the purpose of "measuring" its relative importance within the set

In other words, Google looks at links between pages as votes. The more quality links (votes) into a page, the higher the PageRank. The algorithm considers more than the overall volume of links by analyzing the page that contains the inbound links (casts the vote). Links from pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."

The actual algorithm is kept secret by Google.

You are correct, the actual formula for determining rankings is kept secret. Elements that influence rankings include: age of domain, inbound linking, on page elements (page titles, meta tags, on page content), keyword density (how often the targeted keyword appears within the content) as well as the competitiveness of the keyword. "Auto insurance" is much more competitive than "beaded necklace". As a result, a simple site can rank high in a less competitive environment.

A good rule of thumb for SEO, content is king. The more useful content you can provide on your site, the more the search engines have to determine relevance. Additionally, if the content is useful to users, they will link to it. The more inbound links, the higher SEO relevance in the eyes of the engines.

Thanks, again! I better plan to add some additional new pages that will be very useful to my site visitors so people can book as a resource. I've always wanted to add a page that lists gem stones and what they mean, promote or symbolize. I had added my necklace size guide last year, but have to keep building even more content.

Agreed. PR really only reassures trust in a site. It really doesn't matter what your page rank is untill a potential customer/client reaches your site.

Hello, HotCocoa - Thank you for viewing my web site. I'm really proud of the "Celebrity" page and feel it is a hidden treasure. But, I am also proud of the everyday Testionials and the VIP Club page as well. All my ladies are stars. It's been such an amazing and incredible year so far as you can see from my BUZZ page - - -so there will be 2 new celebrities added in the near future, as well. One day, I will probably have the whole web site redesigned and then I will take everything into consideration. Have a great day!

Alta Vista is the # 1 search egine, what's google?

Hi Designer,
As others mentioned, Google is #1.
With my clients, Google accounts for 80% of our pay per click advertising budgets, Yahoo 15%, and MSN (Live) 4%, and Ask at 1%. That also goes for the amount of organic traffic we receive, with very small sprinkles from 2nd / 3rd tier engines.

Not all sites have a Google ranking. Many reasons for this, even older sites. I find many sites that don't even have basic, best practice optimization. Also, new websites face a challenge of getting found and ranked, often referred to as the Google Sandbox effect.

Rankings on G, Y, and M change all the time, but major updates usually shake things up a bit. WebmasterWorld, the largest online forum for everything web / internet related, used to name major Google updates like hurricanes! Esmerelda, Florida, Bourbon, Jagger, just to name a few... These major updates are also referred to as the Google Dance.

Don't get confused about the changes in rankings, just be consistent in your application of on-page SEO factors, and continually build links within you vertical. One-way inbound links with good anchor text (keywords that you see on a page that link to a website) are the most coveted links. When I say within the same vertical, I mean within your same industry. If your site is about cars, and you get links from a sewing site, there is very little link juice that passes.

Does that help?
Cliff