What Is a PBN? | Private Blog Networks in SEO | Page One Power

A private blog network (PBN) utilizes a network of websites to build links to and influence the authority of a particular or central website. The links created through this singular moving exchange boost the central website’s authority, improving the website’s ranking — that is, until they are caught by Google and penalized for unethical techniques, and all those rankings disappear.

How Private Blog Networks Work

Understanding how a PBN works begins with a basic understanding of the importance of backlinks and authority. In basic terms, a backlink is a link from another site to your site. Backlinks are organically constructed when your site provides foundational or authoritative content— so much so that another site, in essence, “quotes” your site via a link. This link signals to search engines that your site is an authority on the subject matter, which positively influences your site’s ability to rank highly for searches related to that topic. The more links, the greater the signal of authority. 

PBNs function by either purchasing a collection of expired domain names that already have established authority, or by purchasing and registering a variety of domains at once, and building their authority. Once the network is established, the domains are then utilized to post basic content that includes links back to the primary website. 

In a brief and representational equation, a PBN link campaign might look something like this:

Purchased expired domain #1 + 5 links to primary website.

Purchased expired domain #2 + 5 links to primary website.

Purchased expired domain #3 + 5 links to primary website.

= +15 new authoritative links to primary website that increase rankings and perhaps results in new traffic.