Optimize with PBN links is a black hat link-building tactic that’s used to manipulate and amplify search engine rankings. This type of link scheme goes against Google’s guidelines and comes with a high risk of getting penalized. Google’s algorithms are constantly improving and they’re becoming better at detecting unnatural links. This makes it more important than ever to avoid PBNs and focus on using aboveboard link building methods like outreach, being a resource, and broken link building.

A PBN network is a group of websites that are owned by one person or company. These sites are then used to link back to the money site (the site that wants to rank higher). The goal is to artificially boost the SEO of the money site. This method can be effective, especially in the early days of SEO when Google was less sophisticated. However, this is a dangerous tactic that’s only as effective as the quality of the money site’s content and the ability to hide the footprint.

PBN Links vs. Guest Posting: Which is Better for SEO

To get around the rules, PBN owners will try to make their networks look natural. They will try to create a network of websites that are very similar in topic to the money site. They may also use different hosting providers, different themes on the individual websites, and even change the name of the domains to try to confuse the search engines. Some will even try to buy up expired domains with good authority and then link them to their money site.

PBNs are a big risk and don’t work in the long term. While they might give you a temporary ranking boost, the risk of getting penalized by search engines is too high to be worth the gamble. In the worst case scenario, your website could be de-indexed entirely which would seriously impact your traffic and search engine visibility.

There are some exceptions, but they’re rare. Some of the larger website networks, such as Gizmodo Media Group, will often interlink their websites. For example, an article on Kotaku about a new streaming service might reference a detailed article on Gizmodo about the same service. However, this is very rare and the majority of PBNs are very obvious to search engines.

Overall, it’s best to stay away from PBN links unless you’re a large enough brand that you can afford to take the risks. The most efficient and safest way to build quality links is to use aboveboard methods such as outreach, being a resource, and broken linking. Trying to hide links via a PBN isn’t worth the risk of being penalized and it won’t help you achieve your business goals in the long run. If you’re unsure of how to build high-quality links, reaching out to a reputable link builder can be a great option. There are many options available, such as KonKer, which can connect you with experienced professionals that know how to build links safely without the risk of penalties.