Because the Google Toolbar is only designed for Internet Explorer, if other browser users want to view a site’s Google PageRank, they have to install different types of extensions and what not to do so.
With this in mind and because the Mac Safari browser is not Google Toolbar compatible, Mac users need a plug-in of some sort to enjoy PageRank scores. Well Mac users, the wait is over.
Since the release of the Tiger OSX update, Mac users now have use of Dashboard, Tiger’s home for widgets and other user-developed applications. To show their support for Dashboard widgets, Apple.com features a showcase page listing the current top ten user-submitted widgets.
One such widget, called Google PageRank 1.0 and developed by Ran Aroussi, allows Mac users (with Tiger installed) can now view a site’s PageRank, just like they were using the Internet Explorer browser. The PageRank widget’s description gives users an idea of how it works: “Google PageRank is a Dashboard widget that finds the Google Page Rank for any URL by calculating the checksum and requesting the PR from Google’s servers.”
If there are Mac users interested the SEO/SEM industries, or just search engines in general, the PageRank widget is a good tool to have. However, as a general rule concerning PageRank, don’t put too much emphasis on Google’s little green bar. PR does not make or break a web site.
For more information, please visit Ran’s site. The Google PageRank 1.0 widget can also be downloaded here.
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for murdok. Visit murdok for the latest search news.
