He explained that in the late 1990s, Google’s founders realized that the web was like a giant academic citation network. A scientific paper is important if many other important papers cite it. Similarly, a webpage is important if other important websites link to it.
A year later, Maya’s blog was the go-to resource for vintage Omega collectors. She had never bought a single link. She had simply respected the Judge (PageRank), understood the Pollster’s limits (Alexa), and leveraged the Elder (Domain Age) without relying on it. «google pagerank» «alexa rank» «domain age»
"The catch?" Leo grinned. "The pollster only talks to a specific crowd—tech-savvy users who install toolbars. It’s not a random sample of all internet users. So Alexa Rank was useful for trends and competitors, but it was never the whole truth." He explained that in the late 1990s, Google’s
"Precisely. That’s why Google never used Alexa Rank for search results. It was a third-party popularity contest, not the Judge." Finally, Leo tapped the third box. "This is Domain Age —the Elder. It’s the simplest but most deceptive factor." A year later, Maya’s blog was the go-to
In the early days of the mainstream internet, a young entrepreneur named Maya wanted to launch a blog about vintage wristwatches. She had the passion, the photography skills, and a dusty collection of Omega and Rolex ads from the 1960s. But she had a problem: no one could find her site.
Maya frowned. "So my site could be popular with vintage watch collectors who don’t use toolbars, and Alexa would think I’m a ghost?"