SEO Secret Sauce Revealed! Dominate Search with PBN Networks

Mastering the secrets of SEO is a never-ending battle. The days when keyword density was enough to earn your site a high rank on Google are long gone. The search giant is constantly updating their (proprietary) search algorithms, which means that the metrics are always changing. Not only that, but they are better than ever at sniffing out and shutting down so-called black hat SEO tactics. In other words, it is harder than it ever has been to earn a high search rank and avoid penalization by Google. SEO is not for the fainthearted.

The good news is that there are still things you can do to build quality backlinks and improve your SEO. One very effective example is the use of Private Blog Networks, or PBNs.  This strategy is the “secret sauce” a lot the top agencies and SEO “Guru’s” use to dominate the search engines.

So What Is a Private Blog Network?

Let’s start by talking about what a PBN is. Simply put, it’s a collection of websites owned by a single company or person. It is used as a way to place outgoing links for clients. If you have spent any time at all working on off-site SEO, you know that finding quality backlinks is hard work. Google frowns upon buying links, and webmasters who do it can end getting hit with significant penalties if they get caught.

The benefit of using a PBN is that, if you do it right, you can build up a collection of high-quality links from reputable sites. Of course, there are some risks involved too. Here’s a quick look at the dos and don’ts of PBN use:

• DO take the time to find expired domain names for sites that already have links
• DON’T use sites that have spam links, such as links to porn
• DO keep the sites in your network active by posting new content on a regular basis
• DON’T expect Google to overlook inactive sites that are adding new links and nothing else
• DO build a network of related sites that contain content that’s relevant to your niche
• DON”T waste your time on sites with low authority or trustworthiness

In other words, PBNs carry many of the same risks and rewards of other SEO techniques. If you build a PBN and take the time to do it right, it can end up increasing your Google rank and providing a valuable resource for people interested in your niche. If you cut corners and skimp on the details, you could end up with a Google penalty – and if it’s serious enough penalty, it could put you out of business.

How to Build a PBN

Now that you understand what PBNs are and why they can be so valuable for your SEO, let’s talk about the steps required to build one.

1. Find expired domain names, preferably ones that are relevant to your niche or industry. Domain names expire for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes the people who own a domain forget about it, miss a renewal deadline, or they’ve simply moved on to other products and sites. Expired domain names are easy to find. You can use sites like ExpiredDomains or FreshDrop and search for domain names that appeal to you.
2. Research each potential domain name to determine its value as part of a PBN. One of the tools I like to use is Majestic SEO, which lets you check several key metrics to determine if a site is worthwhile. We’ll talk more about which metrics to evaluate in a minute.
3. After you have identified viable domain names, register the domain names you have chosen and turn each one into an active site with fresh and relevant content. As I mentioned earlier, it is very important to make sure that each site in your PBN is active. Stagnant sites with old content are far more likely to attract negative attention from Google than active ones.
4. Add links, making sure that each link you place is relevant and adds value to the site.