Few have noticed that PageRank distribution feature has gone missing. Many are distracted by the newly released labs feature, whether Google has timed it perfectly so as not to spark controversy, we do not know. But we know for sure PageRank values in Webmaster Tools have totally been removed. This is confirmed by Google employee Susan Moska, in a Google Webmaster thread:

• “We’ve been telling people for a long time that they shouldn’t focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it’s the most important metric for them to track, which is simply not true. We removed it because we felt it was silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show them the data, implying that they should look at it. :-) “

PageRank is what Google uses to measure the importance of a web page. One way PR works is by a voting system, pages with the most links leading to them get the most votes. These pages are more highly ranked, effectively deemed to be bettter “resources” and have more weight in voting as compared to others.

However, Google has also been encouraging users not to place too much emphasis on PageRank, to focus on a more accurate metrics system like Google Analytics. This isn’t too much of a surprise to me since they were seeking feedback on removing PageRank from the infamous toolbar in 2007.

Many mixed messages; the funny thing is, they have removed PageRank data from the webmaster tools, but have left PageRank remaining in the toolbar. But the Google toolbar after all, is a “powerhouse of personalized functionality” according to CNet, and a hot favorite among users.

Shouldn’t Google either update its PageRank data, or remove it from the toolbar altogether?

The message they are sending leaves me dumfounded, and seems rather …cryptic even.

What do you think?