Can I regain PageRank on links pages that Google has removed?

• How long after a webpage that previously had PageRank goes GrayBar (i.e. Toolbar PageRank goes completely gray) should action be taken to solve the problem? Can it ever regain PageRank? We had this happen to several of our resource pages (also known as links or partner pages). They suddenly went from PageRank 4 to GrayBar. Should I submit a reconsideration request or point some new links at the pages?

Answer: Although the most common reason for a gray PageRank bar is when Google hasn't yet indexed a page, your situation is obviously different since they previously had a PageRank 4. A PageRank GrayBar also should not be confused with a PageRank 0 (zero)—which would be the case if Google indexed a page, found nothing wrong with it, but didn't find many links pointing to the page.

For starters, have you verified that these pages actually still exist in Google's index? Since you say they are "resource pages (also known as links or partner pages)" our first thought is that Google removed them because Google tends to view links pages as low-quality pages. This is especially true if it looks like you've been using your PageRank 4 to sell links.

To learn if a page has been removed, simply enter the URL into a Google search. If the page doesn't come up, then search Google for a unique phrase found only on that page (be sure to wrap your search query in quotations). If neither search returns the webpage in question then the page is no longer in Google's index. That's why you're seeing the gray in Google's Toolbar PageRank.

Of course, you may find these pages are indeed still indexed. If they are, but aren't ranking, then Google may simply be penalizing their ability to rank wh...