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When discussing a site's PageRank, talk usually focuses on ways of increasing it; "How can I go from a PR 3 to a PR 7" or "If I exchange a link that has a higher PR site, will my site benefit". Because of the public perception of Google/Stanford's formula, rarely do you come across an individual looking for ways to lower PageRank.

How Can You Remove PageRank?
Everyone talks about increasing PageRank. Is there anything you can do to remove PR when something happens to the site/domain it was intended for? Discuss PR and other topics at WebProWorld.

In a discussion I noticed on Cre8site titled "wiping page rank," a poster was seeking advice on how to actually reduce a site's PageRank. Tazg101 describes his predicament as follows:

"I work for a company's website and it looks like the domain is going with someone who worked for the company and is now leaving, [and because he] paid for it with his card, he is digging his heels on the situation. I spent months getting a good page [rank from Google] but I don't believe he should benefit from this. How can I wipe the page rating on this site?"

This kind of situation presents a unique circumstance. Can anyone besides Google immediately reduce someone's PageRank? The answer appears to be no. There are a number of domain-related avenues that can be pursued, but there isn't much that can be done to immediately affect PR.

Concerning the domain that recently changed hands, several Cre8site members offered Tazg101 advice on how to contest the issue. Forum moderator Diane V suggested, "If you cannot come to an agreement about the domain name and if you cannot sort it out to the company's benefit with the domain name registrar (or ICANN), then my guess is you may have to get another domain name. But, considering that you were successful with the rankings in the first place, you'll be able to do it again."

Bragadocchio also provided some domain related information that supported Diane's, "A company should be able to rely upon the fact that someone purchasing a domain name on the company's behalf was authorized to do that for the company, and that the company is the owner of the name... There's a value to the domain name, and all of the effort you put into creating links and optimizing a site and so on. It might be good to see if that value can be preserved rather than trying to destroy it."

If reducing PageRank is the goal, just do the opposite of what "the rules" dictate to improve it. With relevant linking you can change an internal link structure and request other sites pointing to you to remove those links. Another Cre8site mod (Tim) suggests, "You could also ask anyone who's linking to the site to stop linking, if possible. If enough people stop linking, it'll probably decrease the PageRank by the next update." If updates are being done on a quarterly basis (as has been suggested) you may not see any results from this strategy for a few months.

You could try Adrian's (also a CS mod) approach: "I'd get a new domain set-up ASAP get the site back up there, and stick 301 redirects on the old one. Then as they are crawling around, the SE's should see that the site as moved and start picking up the new one."

Basically, aside from ICANN and registrar appeals, your options are extremely limited if an unscrupulous party has acquired your domain. If the domain you've been toiling over changes hands, all that hard work may have been for nothing, unless of course, you can convince Google to directly penalize the domain which is probably a long shot.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.