Black Hat SEO – Private Blog Networks

Many SEO Consultants use less than ethical tactics to increase search engine rankings for a client website. One such tactic is the use of PBN’s or ‘Private Blog Networks’.

About Private Blog Networks

A Private Blog Network scheme involves setting up a large number of low-quality websites, on which are placed links to target websites in the hope of them climbing the search engine rankings.

An example UK-based PBN is here… http://public-insuranceadjuster.info/ | http://www.mesg.co.uk/ | http://www.interactive-school-apps.co.uk/ | http://www.blossombouquets.co.uk/ | http://www.visphoto.co.uk/ | http://www.articlesforfree.co.uk/ | http://www.cassilis.co.uk/ | http://www.cappedinsurance.com/ | http://www.fighting-spirit.co.uk/ | http://www.icoplastic.co.uk/ | http://www.fetcher.co.uk/ | http://www.2046.co.uk/ | http://www.anonstudio.co.uk/ | http://ukwebcomixthing.co.uk/ | http://planbbooks.co.uk/ | http://green-dream.co.uk/ | http://thecomicsbureau.co.uk/

When these sites load, they look like real websites. On closer inspection however, they are clearly part of a PBN. These are low-quality sites with the sole intention of helping the target websites cheat Google search rankings. Each page has 4 or 5 articles on it, each linking to common target websites.

Typically, a black-hat SEO will purchase expired domains which have had some value in the past. Unsurprisingly, these particular websites have low ‘trust scores’ – despite each having thousands of incoming links from other websites. They have almost zero incoming traffic and rank low down in the top 100 search results for relevant keywords.

What Google Says About PBN’s

Google is dead-set against Private Blog Networks being used to influence search engine results. Google has recently started taking action against low-value websites and in particular against websites deemed to be unfairly benefitting from links from PBN websites.

Recent updates to Google’s ranking algorithm have begun to target PBN’s. In the Black Hat SEO community this month many webmasters using this tactic have been crying over sudden drops in ranking positions!

If your SEO is using Private Blog Networks, you need to sack them off – and quickly – before Google makes your website disappear completely from the rankings by penalising it.

Request An Audit

If you are unsure if your SEO is using PBN’s or other damaging black-hat SEO techniques, contact us a for a free SEO audit of your website. We don’t pull punches and will tell you exactly how it is.