1. A method for computing ranks in a linked database, the method comprising: obtaining a local rank vector associated with a selected subset of nodes in the linked database, wherein each component of the local rank vector represents a local rank of a node in the selected subset of nodes; obtaining a block rank vector associated with the linked database, wherein each component of the block rank vector represents a block rank of a subset of nodes in the linked database, wherein the subset is one of a plurality of subsets of nodes defined by a partition of the nodes in the linked database; selecting a component of the block rank vector corresponding to the selected subset of nodes; selecting a component of the local rank vector corresponding to a selected node in the selected subset of nodes; combining the selected component of the block rank vector and the selected component of the local rank vector to obtain a global rank for the selected node.