Premium PBN links are a link-building tactic that used to be quite effective — until search engines started cracking down on them. PBNs involve creating or purchasing a group of websites and linking them back to the money site that you want to rank for. They’re popular in niches like gambling and adult content where it’s difficult to build natural links.
The problem is that the people who run PBNs aren’t always careful about hiding their networks. They may even tell buyers which sites they own in order to sell them links. That’s why it’s important to only buy links from trustworthy sources. You can check whether a website is using a PBN by running a backlink audit with tools like Semrush. The tool’s Network Graph tab will show you a color-coded graph that depicts a link network. A red one indicates a PBN and is a violation of Google’s guidelines.
The Future of PBN Links in a World of AI-Driven Search Algorithms
There are a number of reasons to avoid PBNs, but the biggest is that they’re often spammy and can get you hit with a search engine penalty. The penalties can be severe, reducing your traffic and rankings. They can also be expensive to recover from, and they’ll likely result in a loss of business if your competitors catch on to your tactics.
Another issue with PBNs is that they can impact user experience. People who see links from PBNs will have a skewed perception of the content that they’re linking to, which can cause them to lose trust in the brand. As a result, they’ll be less likely to engage with that website in the future.
If you’re thinking about using a PBN or working with a link building agency that uses them, be sure to ask for samples of links they’ve built through white-hat methods before signing on. This will help you determine if they’re credible and compliant with search engine guidelines. You should also look at the links on their client’s sites for signs of PBNs, such as unnaturally placed exact-match anchor texts or sites that don’t seem to be legitimate.
Overall, using PBNs is a risky and dangerous strategy. They’re not worth the risk, and there are other ways to build quality backlinks that won’t put you at risk of getting penalized by Google. Instead of relying on PBNs, you should focus on aboveboard strategies like guest posting, becoming a source, broken link building, and more. While these tactics take more time and effort than just buying links from PBNs, they’re a much better way to ensure that your links are safe and effective.