{"id":3457,"date":"2021-12-30T12:52:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-30T12:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linkplicity.io\/?p=3457"},"modified":"2022-03-24T04:06:33","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T04:06:33","slug":"what-are-pnb-backlinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linkplicity.io\/what-are-pnb-backlinks\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are PBN Backlinks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you researched how to improve your site’s rankings, you’ve probably stumbled upon the dark arts of link building. Also known as black hat SEO tactics, these go against Google guidelines by manipulating its algorithm to fast-track a website on top of organic search rankings.<\/p>\n

Some avoid black hat SEO like the plague, as they should. But others swear by its effectiveness and use them to get their websites on top of Google.<\/p>\n

One of the most (in)famous link building efforts is PBN (private blog network) backlinks.<\/p>\n

This post discusses everything you must know about this link type, its advantages and disadvantages, and whether you should build them for your website or not.<\/p>\n

PBN Backlinks in a Nutshell<\/h2>\n

A private blog network is a collection of blogs and websites owned by a person and uses them to build links to help boost links to your money pages.<\/p>\n

Ideally, you want to build your network from the ground up to enjoy the full benefits that PBN backlinks bring to your site. Below is an overview of creating PBNs from scratch:<\/p>\n

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  1. Buy aged and expired domains from domain registrars<\/strong> – Research available domains for purchase and bid for them on sites like GoDaddy Domain Auctions. Aged domains<\/a> are those previously owned and have high domain authority due to the link profile built by their former owners. For this reason, an aged domain costs hundreds, if not thousands<\/em>, of dollars.<\/li>\n
  2. Create a website for each<\/strong> – After securing the domains, host and create a website for it on different hosting providers. The kicker here is you have to create a natural-looking website. That means you have to use a distinct blog layout and create content for it regularly.<\/li>\n
  3. Use CDN for each PBN site <\/strong>– Using the same hosting provider for all your PBNs is one way that Google catches sites manipulating its algorithm to rank on search results. The reason is it uses the same IP addresses as the sites. So, to help cover your tracks, use a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare on all your PBNs. It allows you to use multiple IP addresses at once for your PBN sites. This makes it impossible for the search engine to identify the sites you use for building links to your site.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Creating a network of blogs from aged domains can be expensive since you have to purchase the domains, pay the hosting fee, and hire someone to create content for each.<\/p>\n

    How to Link to Your Sites Using PBNs<\/h2>\n

    Before we discuss the process of linking to your money site from PBNs, you have to understand that this tactic goes against everything Google wants from websites.<\/p>\n

    In Google’s Link schemes<\/a> page, it states that “any behavior that manipulates links to your site or outgoing links from your site” violates Google’s guidelines.<\/p>\n

    And since you have complete autonomy over how you want your links built on PBNs, you manipulate Google to rank your website.<\/p>\n

    Here’s a visual representation of how PBNs work in principle:<\/p>\n

    \"PBN\"<\/p>\n

    Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

    Using a predictable linking pattern from your PBN sites like the one above is another footprint that Google uses to identify unnatural links. This reason is why you can’t afford to directly link from your PBN blogs straight to your money site.<\/p>\n

    A workaround to this issue is to build PBN backlinks with no rhyme or reason<\/em>. Here’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about:<\/p>\n

    \"White<\/p>\n

    Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

    In the example above, tier 1 backlinks are acquired through white hat means, ex. guest blogging, broken link building, etc. Tier 2 backlinks are your PBN backlinks that mostly link to your tier 1 links to strengthen their authority.<\/p>\n

    The benefit of this approach, aside from hiding your tracks from Google, is to minimize the effect of the penalty should Google uncover your PBN backlinks. Since you’re not linking to your money site from your PBNs, the site shouldn’t see a massive drop in search rankings.<\/p>\n

    Having a strategic link building pattern that borders on chaos helps make your links appear natural to Google. As a result, the search engine will find tracing your footprints much harder so you can enjoy the benefits of outbound links from PBN sites.<\/p>\n

    Pros of Links from Private Blog Networks<\/h2>\n

    As mentioned, some SEOs consider building PBN backlinks as a crucial part of their SEO strategy. Below are the reasons why they use it to full effect:<\/p>\n