Google recently updated everybody's Pagerank on May 1, 2008, and as webmasters and affiliate managers, we are certainly concerned about how we rank on Google's search engine. Pagerank determines how close we are to the top in Google's search results.

But before you rush off to check and recheck your Pagerank on all those rank-checker sites out there on the Web, and before you decide to put one of their dynamic Pagerank buttons on your website, you might want to read Google's Terms of Service (http://www.google.com/accounts/TOS), because Google warns webmasters about overburdening Google's servers. I mean if you want to keep track of your Pagerank, why not download the Google toolbar. It shows you the Pagerank of every site you're on.

I guess there are six "cardinal" rules for gaining and maintaining Pagerank:

1) Do not put paid links on your site.

2) Do not create duplicate sites with duplicate content. In fact, avoid using duplicate content, duplicate posts and duplicate articles.

3) Do not violate copyright. (Do not steal content.)

4) Do not use Google's logos without permission.

5) Do not join link farms or post your links on FFA (Free For All) sites.

6) Do not spam.