Let there be no doubt: we are not fans of Private Blog Networks (PBNs). A PBN is a network of blogs managed by one party, generally used to place links to a site and create fake popularity through those backlinks. At the end of the day it's manipulation, because you're trying to mislead crawlers. Why is it misleading? Let's dig in.
The visitor is not the focus
A website only truly has a reason to exist when it's valuable to the visitor. Why else start a site? On Private Blog Networks we mostly see mediocre content with little substance. As a visitor you gain nothing from it, and with that, the site's reason to exist evaporates. And when something has no reason to exist, it has no use either. No, not for your link profile.
No attention to on-page factors
This ties into the previous point. On PBN sites, nobody has thought about on-page factors: internal linking, hierarchy, cannibalisation, a good SEO title, an external link to research or a reliable source. No: we only see a thin text that exists purely to carry a link.
A clear footprint
A blog network is usually in the hands of one party, and that creates a clear footprint. It's easy to see the link comes from a network:
- Hosted on the same IP address
- The WHOIS is identical
- Links get placed on the same day
- The authors are the same across all sites
- The blogs appear in link-exchange lists
- Your link sits between the same (irrelevant) parties every time
In short: the whole network is a stronghold of manipulation by one party. And it's easy to trace, so probably also for crawlers and search engines. The moment those crawlers figure out you're trying to manipulate them, the "link value" will most likely vanish.
Little to no relevance
Say you walk into a hardware store. You don't do that for nothing: you have a job to do and you need something. The same happens online. People visit a site with an intent. If you walk into that hardware store and see clothing, plants, smoothies and fitness equipment, you'll probably walk out disappointed. That is exactly what happens on most Private Blog Networks: you sit between irrelevant content from other people and companies that have nothing to do with your product. Would you enjoy that? We certainly wouldn't. We'd rather appear on relevant websites, so visitors genuinely benefit from our links and we benefit from those visitors. What are the odds of that happening via a PBN site? Practically zero.
High risk of removal
When a link gets removed, we read it as a sign you no longer matter, your content no longer fits, or better alternatives exist. It feels like something is taken from you, fair or not. With a PBN you are completely dependent on one party, and there's a real chance they remove your backlinks the moment you stop paying. So you effectively paid for nothing. The PBN operator holds all the power over your links. You shouldn't want that.
With the link strategies Hatless uses, you won't have that problem. Because links are earned on the strength of content and reason to exist, and placed on sites where we have no influence over the content, those links (most likely) won't disappear. Far more sustainable in lifespan, and we haven't even mentioned quality and relevance yet.
The PBN site's backlink profile paints a clear picture
A common argument for a PBN strategy is that your site gets links from websites with authority. That gets a hearty laugh on our work floor. Here's why:
- The PBN website probably has links from the past, based on whatever gave the site its reason to exist back then. Since the site now serves a different purpose, those links no longer matter. Worse: they'll likely disappear, because the reason they were placed has disappeared too.
- No new links come in. A site that stops earning backlinks is effectively no longer relevant or interesting. A site should receive a continuous stream of backlinks based on valuable content, meaning, or when something happens (online). A PBN site almost never gets new links from real domains, because the quality is poor.
- The outgoing links are obvious SEO and manipulation links. More on that below.
PBN outgoing links exist to manipulate crawlers through anchor texts
Think about it: as a website you want to collect as many quality backlinks as possible because you deserve them. Those backlinks tell why you're relevant and why you matter. The anchor text plays a key role. With PBN links you see clear anchor manipulation (making the link insincere):
- The anchor text is a search keyword;
- Hardly any branded anchors, so you never become a strong brand;
- Often multiple links to your site from a single article.
The content is mediocre
We love content that is good, adds value and contributes to a positive visitor experience. We attach great value to content marketing. The content on PBN sites is usually far below par: a hollow text built around a clumsily chosen anchor, so a link can be placed in a way that looks "logical". Logical to a robot, that is, because a robot can't (yet) tell a smooth sentence with a manipulative anchor from genuinely good content.
You're there because you pay
Not because people recommend you or rate you highly. A favourite trick of linkbuilders is renting space, for instance at a football club. Sponsoring your favourite club is fine of course, but not for the sake of a link.
Imagine: Party X goes to a top-flight club and says, I'll pay you €10,000 to rent a section of your website for logos. Party X places ten logos and charges €2,000 each. An interesting business model, you might say. And you get a link from an authoritative website. Winning! Not.
It is plainly obvious such a link is sponsored. Does that make it worthless? No, certainly not. You're not just anyone if you sponsor a top club. But you didn't earn the reference, and you're there temporarily, because you pay.
In some cases the very same widget is placed on multiple sites, creating a clear digital footprint that makes it even more obvious you pay for links and are part of a PBN.
The links are easy to duplicate
A PBN has nothing to do with earning backlinks. The only thing anyone has to do to get the same link is to buy from the party that owns the network. Every competitor can order the same. PBNs rarely distinguish between clients or offer exclusivity, which makes the link not unique, and therefore weaker.
A big chance of bad neighbourhood
In some markets, earned links are hard to come by. Think payday loans, online casinos, CBD oil and other markets where you have to wonder if everything is above board. But a PBN revolves around one thing: making money. So companies from these sectors are, in principle, welcome at a party that only thinks about money.
You really have to ask yourself whether you want your brand standing between those parties.
"But it works"
It works. So it's good. Right? A car drives without an MOT too. A €0.59 phone cable from China charges as well.
Our response: whatever makes you sleep at night. We couldn't sleep well knowingly trying to deceive or manipulate, because that is what PBNs do. Does it have a (temporary) effect? Without a doubt. But it is and remains fake. As a brand you'll have to think: do I want this? Wouldn't I rather earn my links, so I genuinely have a reason to exist and search engines have a genuine interest in showing my content?
If you're afraid of Google updates, in our view you're doing something wrong. We don't concern ourselves with the issues of the day or algorithm updates. They practically always fall in our favour, because we optimise for search intent and the visitor.
We get it. Taking a shortcut and scoring quickly is easy, and the client earns from ranking too. If you're willing to accept all the risks that come with it, we say: go ahead. We prefer working for brands that treat their site responsibly, value the long term and want to earn links on quality.
Linkbuilding vs. link earning
Now that you've read why a PBN is a bad link strategy, let's turn to how we acquire links. We earn them, on the strength of our content and our reason to exist. People link to us because they appreciate us or benefit from us. That genuine connection is worth far more because:
- there is no influence over the anchor text;
- the reference is made by an independent person;
- the mention is based on the added value of a site;
- it takes creativity, quality and relevance;
- the visitor is better off;
- an earned mention is hard to duplicate.
Frequently asked questions about PBNs
Is linkbuilding manipulation by definition?
If your idea of linkbuilding is deploying a PBN, that's manipulation. The moment you influence the anchor text yourself, that's linkbuilding. We do link earning: links are earned on the basis of our added value. It's essentially a review in the form of a reference. A review is always placed out of someone's own conviction, and there's nothing manipulated about that.
I've been told this is linkbuilding, what should I do?
Correct, this is linkbuilding too. It's a blatant way of acquiring links that look insincere and manipulated. Easy to see through, for visitors and crawlers alike. Focus on good links from real websites instead.
Should I disavow my PBN links?
We're not fans of the disavow tool. Even though these links pollute your profile, we advise leaving them (temporarily) until good links have taken their place. Only then think about removal. We don't like the signal a removed link sends, so we'd rather leave them be. The focus, however, should shift to quality links as soon as possible.
Have I been scammed?
No. Companies that deploy a PBN do so with good intentions. We believe they genuinely want to help you, and in their eyes this is the way. We see it very differently.
After reading this I want to change strategy. How?
By using a good strategy. We've made a list of strategies you can always apply. You can also contact us. We'll always give you honest advice.
What does PBN mean?
PBN stands for Private Blog Network: a network run by one or more parties, used mainly for linkbuilding purposes and manipulating backlinks.