An Ultimate Guide: What Are PBN Backlinks?

Posted byRoy Turner Posted onMarch 27, 2023 Comments0

Link building is difficult. And when the results of your link building efforts are slow in coming, it might be easy to fantasise about having an entire network of websites on which to add your links. This would definitely simplify things, right?

This isn’t a fresh concept, unfortunately. Private blog networks (PBNs) are a type of website network that is discouraged by Google.

Let’s define private blog networks (PBN) backlinks

Backlinks from a private blog network (PBN) are inbound links that originate from a group of independently owned blogs and point to a target website. PBNs are created only for the purpose of increasing site’s search engine rankings through backlinks.

PBNs are effective since Google’s ranking algorithm takes into account a website’s link profile. The more links a page has, the more likely it is that it has high-quality information that others will want to share.

Of course, that is not the case if you are only transferring your connections from a PBN to your primary domain. It just indicates an attempt to manipulate the system.

How Do Individuals Create PBNs?

The value of backlinks is maximised when they originate from highly regarded websites. However, it is time-consuming and costly to construct such a website.

PBN operators cut corners in a number of ways because of this.

To begin, they construct the sites on formerly active but now-expired domains that already have authority thanks to links established by the previous owner. The new owner of the domain simply adds articles with links to the previously existing ones.

Adding high-quality material to a website can be costly, hence PBN owners often resort to low-cost content or content generated by AI copywriting tools.

PBN owners will also typically attempt to conceal any connections between their networked sites. This is accomplished by the use of alternative hosting services, the introduction of non-linked material, and the adoption of alternative presentational styles.

Making Private Blog Network Backlinks

PBN backlinks can be created in two primary ways.

The first is to create your own network and utilise it to support your existing website(s).

If you go this method, you’ll conceal the PBN and only use it to promote a few of your sites. If managed properly, these networks can be effective for a while.

One alternative is to purchase links from an established private blog network. You can quickly amass a large number of backlinks if you follow this strategy.
PBNs are a subset of website networks.

Many people have more than one website, and they often promote each other. We engage in this practise on our own LinkBuilder page, where we promote our own pay-per-click advertising service, PPC Genius.

Contrary to popular belief, this form of connection is not a PBN. As long as the links make sense and there isn’t too much repetition, linking across sites that you own is fine.

When several websites are created for the sole intention of creating backlinks, we have a PBN.

Many successful website owners even provide internal links between their many properties. Take a look at Gizmodo’s navigation bar. Its eleven linked sites attract millions of visitors every year.

Must You Create a PBN Backlink?

PBN linkages should be avoided in almost all circumstances. But in the spirit of balance, let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks.

Pros

  • The best anchor text for your link can be selected by you.

  • You can link on a massive scale.

  • The links are free if you own the PBN.

  • To enhance traffic temporarily, for example, PBNs can be useful.

Cons

  • Buying expired domains and creating original content for a private blog network (PBN) is not cheap.

  • PBN links for sale are typically useless.

  • If Google finds out about the PBN, any boost in rankings you notice could be lost.

  • Sites constructed with private blog network linkages may be more difficult to sell.

Position of Google

Google has made it quite clear that it views PBN links negatively. Although PBNs aren’t mentioned by name, numerous related strategies are discussed in the search engine’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Furthermore, in December 2022, Google published a link spam upgrade designed to penalise links from such sites.
Any link “designed to artificially increase or decrease the visibility of a website in a Google search” is explicitly forbidden by Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Don’t use private blog network links if you want to avoid getting in trouble with Google.

Discovering Private Blog Network Backlinks

As we’ve seen, PBN backlinks tend to have negative effects on websites. The next obvious question is how to detect if a PBN has linked to your site.
The good news is that PBN linkages are often straightforward to detect. To learn more about the websites that are linking to you, all you need to do is use an SEO tool. After that, you can search for illogical connections.

Excluding toxic links

During the aforementioned assessment, you may discover one or more questionable links.

One option is to take no action at all.

There is a good possibility that Google is disregarding the connection if you don’t have many potentially suspicious links and your search engine rankings are stable. You’ll have more time to devote to other facets of SEO, such as writing content or constructing high-authority backlinks.

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