After our post a couple of days ago asking whatever happened to the routine PageRank update it looks as if one is underway for this weekend.

Darren at Problogger gives the forum and SEO links.

SiliconValleyWatch reports on a slight change of tack by Google. We were expecting the long-awaited launch of GBuy, a PayPal lookalike or even “killer”, but instead we’re given Google Checkout:

Google has launched Google Checkout, a payment system for online retailers that’s tightly integrated with Google AdWords. Checkout isn’t the rumored PayPal killer, but it does offer some compelling features for both merchants and online shoppers alike. … In fact, Google Checkout is simply an extension of technology the company has developed internally for its AdWords, Base, Picasa and other services.

Salar Kamangar, VP of Product Management at Google said, “There are more and more reasons for users to do transactions for Google products. We wanted to generalize that experience. It’s not about a universal wallet; it’s about making the checkout process streamlined with the fewest number of steps.”

Why is Google consistently underlaunching on its seed PR these days?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is to test it’s long-awaited “Wallet” service, now renamed GBuy, an online payments service.

“Web-search giant Google Inc. is set to introduce a test version of its GBuy online-payment service as early as this week, according to people briefed on the situation. The service, which would challenge eBay Inc.’s PayPal online-payment service and others, has been expected for several months. To attract consumers, Google plans to offer an unspecified rebate to people who complete online purchases using GBuy, according to one person briefed on the company’s plans.”

The system will switch buyers from the normal checkout procedure into a GBuy channel if the merchant accepts the system and the buyer chooses the option. Searches on products will indicate which merchants accept payments through GBuy.

“The expected arrival of GBuy presages a shake-up in the online-payments market. Until now, consumers have only had payment options such as PayPal, which lets consumers pay using their credit card or a bank-account transfer without disclosing their account information to the merchant or individual receiving the payment. ”

I don’t know about you but it seems to me a very long time since we had a proper PageRank update from Google. Many of our blogs have been in the sandbox for 4 months or more.

Two explanations arise.

The first is the roll out of BigDaddy, the new software running Google’s datacenters.

The second is the prolonged absence of Matt Cutts, without whom nothing happens on the index, apparently. He hasn’t updated his blog for a month.

There must be some way of pressing that big red button at the Googleplex without Matt’s presence. If not, Google is far too dependent on one person. Indispensability is a threat to any organization, but especially a global brand like Google.

Does anyone have information on this long delay?