PBN – Private Blog Network

What is a PBN – Private Blog Network?

PBN is the abbreviation for Private Blog Network. The goal of such a network is to improve the ranking of your website/domain in Google search results. In this article, I would like to go into more detail on how to set up a PBN and explain in detail (step by step) what you should pay attention to. In my PBN tutorial, you can read about the most important basics!

How can I create my own PBN?

A private blog network consists of a corresponding number of domains that have “strong” inbound links. The strength or quality of a link is defined by these characteristics:

• Position of the link (content, sidebar, footer?)
• the number of further outgoing links (max. 10) on a page
• the corresponding website (topic relevance, trust?)

With the SEO tool Majestic SEO you can find out which links point to a domain. In addition, Majestic SEO calculates two metrics for a domain – based on all incoming links: the trust flow and the citation flow. Using these metrics, you can determine how much the domain benefits from the incoming links or backlinks.

What is Trust Flow? This metric defines the quality of incoming links. The value should be at least 15+.

What is the Citation Flow? This metric defines the number of incoming links. The value should be at least 15+.

Note: Before buying an (expired) domain, you should always make up your mind about the quality of the backlinks. Why? The metrics Trust Flow and Citation Flow can unfortunately also be falsified by spammers and hackers (e.g. by temporarily placing a link). To check the current backlinks, I also recommend the SEO tool Majestic SEO.

To get back to the initial question; specifically, from my perspective, you need:

• 10 high-quality expired domains (per domain 150 $ – 200 $/year)
• Webhosting for webspace + domain (recommendation: Exonhost.com, Hostabulous.com, Hostripples.com) (between 30 $ – 35 $/year)
• Account at Domcop.com (38 $/month – cancellation possible at any time)
• Account at Majesticseo.com (54,99 $/month – cancellation possible at any time)
• Account at GoDaddy.com (4,75 €/year – cancellation possible at any time)
• little experience with WordPress

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Step-by-step instructions for a PBN?

Create an account on domcop.com. DomCop is an expired domain search engine that helps you find high-quality (expiring) domains. You can find a detailed tutorial on how to find expired domains on DomCop here: Finding Topic Relevant Expired Domains on DomCop! The most important metrics in a nutshell:

• Maj TF (MajesticSEO Trust Flow): 15+
• Maj CF (MajesticSEO Citation Flow): 15+
• Moz DA (Moz Domain Authority): 25+
• Moz Dom (Number of backlinks/referring domains from Moz): 50+
• Maj Dom (Number of backlinks/referring domains from MajesticSEO): 50+

Although not a metric, another important indicator is the bid price. This should already be at least $60 before your first bid. This way you can be sure that the domain has other interested parties and has a certain market value.

Look for expired domains, which are offered on the domain trading platform GoDaddy. Look for this symbol.

Check the backlinks and the link texts (anchor tags) of a preferred expired domain with MajesticSEO.

Link texts or anchor texts

Make sure that the link profile (under the menu item “Anchor Text”) consists mostly of the URL and the proper name. This would speak for a natural link profile.

Backlinks

MajesticSEO also checks the number of linking IPs. Make sure that the number is about the same as “Referring Domains” (50+). Thus, it can be assumed that the backlinks have been built on different IPs/servers and are factually independent of each other. Furthermore, you should also take a look at the Topical Trust Flow. The Topical Trust Flow represents the topic results or niches of the found backlinks (e.g. Reference/Education, Computers/Programming/Languages, Shopping/Niche, etc., pp.). Using the domain example.com (for MajesticSEO analysis) you can get an overview.

Create an account on godaddy.com. On GoDaddy, the auctions for expired domains are conducted.

After you have found a suitable domain and the auction has been completed on GoDaddy in your favor, make the payment (e.g. via Paypal). You will find the payment details in the mail about the successful bid. Now you have to wait a maximum of 14 days for the domain to be transferred from the current hosting provider (from the previous domain owner) to GoDaddy. This process will be carried out automatically by GoDaddy as soon as the payment is completed.

After the domain has been transferred to GoDaddy (you’ll be informed about it by email), you’ll fill out the 60-Day Lock Removal Request form and submit it to review60@godaddy.com. This will remove the regular 60-day domain lock period and unlock the domain. With the requested AuthCode you can now transfer your domain to a hosting provider of your choice. a hosting provider of your choice.

For hosting a domain, it is best to use a low-cost web hosting service from India, Bangladesh, or Egypt. I have had very good experiences with these four hosting providers over the last 2 years: exonhost.com, hostabulous.com, hostripples.com, and ethernetservers.com.

Once you have chosen a host, complete the appropriate registration process with them. To do this, provide the host with the AuthCode you received from GoDaddy. The domain transfer will now be carried out and will take approximately 7 days. Costs: The costs for the hosting package at Exonhost.com, for example, are $21.95 USD for one year. In addition, Exonhost also charges a domain fee of $11.20 USD. The price also includes a Whois-Protect service. Through the Whois-Protect service, the domain owner data will not be published.

Once the domain transfer is completed, you usually need to update the nameservers in the corresponding control panel. You will be informed about the nameservers via e-mail during the order process.

Done!

Install and configure WordPress for a PBN

WordPress is great for creating a blog, because this CMS is very user-friendly and easy to use even for beginners. At hosting providers Exonhost.com, Hostabulous.com and Hostripples.com, you can install WordPress quickly and easily via 1-click installation. More about this in the following instructions!

• Log in to CPanel (https://www.deinedomain.com/cpanel) and install WordPress using the Softcalious tool. This tool allows a quick 1-click installation of WordPress and many other content management systems. Make sure to install WordPress in the root directory (https://www.deinedomain.com/).

• Now log into WordPress using the credentials you set earlier. (https://www.ihredomain.com/wp-admin/)

• Install the plugins 404 to start and Yoast SEO. Use the internal WordPress plugin search.

• Install a theme or use the default theme.

• Click Settings -> Permalinks -> Post Name (www.deinedomain.com/beispielbeitrag/) The headlines of the blogposts are now displayed as search engine friendly Canonical URLs.
  
• Give the blog a thematically appropriate name under Settings -> General. This way you can already establish a topic relevance to your project or niche via the title tag. The title should always include the URL of the expired domain (“yourdomain.com”). Thus – at least partially – a connection to the existing backlinks or its anchor tags can be established.

• Write a blog post (Posts -> Create) with a topic-relevant headline about your project. In the article you should go into detail about your website and also use appropriate keywords (+ synonyms).

• Click on Pages -> All pages and delete the page “Example page”. Then create the pages “Privacy” and “Imprint”. The content of these pages should be clear. ? But a word about the imprint: In the imprint of the respective domain, the address of a friend or an acquaintance should be stored (you should of course ask him for permission beforehand). In order not to fall into the “Google trap”, different imprint data should be stored on each domain. This way, Google cannot recognize that the respective domains belong to you and that they represent a PBN in their entirety. In addition, the imprint always underlines the seriousness of a domain or blog.

Strategic link building and Google rules

Of course, it can be argued whether a private blog network (PBN) violates Google guidelines. However, the question of active link building should then also be pursued. Because: basically, website operators already violate the guidelines as soon as they actively participate in link building – in whatever form. And it doesn’t matter whether a link is placed in a forum or on a blog. So in the end, everyone has to ask themselves the question: Where does Black Hat SEO begin and where does Black Hat SEO end?

Since Google does not tolerate active link building, you should consider the following tips! Penalties by Google are therefore 99.9% impossible.

• Each domain should be accessible under a unique IP. So you should either use different hosting providers or inform yourself in advance if different Class-C IP addresses are available (Tip: Exonhost.com).

• Each domain should have unique content/text.

• Each domain should use an individual theme/design/layout.

• The old pages (or now defunct pages) of a domain must be redirected correctly via 301 redirect code to the start page (see plugin “404 to start”).

Never link your domains to each other!

Within the blogposts, the link texts (anchor tags) should contain the most important keywords to your web project. However, the link texts should consist of whole word groups. The pure linking of money keywords should be avoided, as these link texts appear unnatural and may be devalued by Google (keyword “Penguin Updates”). Use as link texts from time to time also the URL, because also this linking works naturally.

Write detailed articles about your site and pay attention to unique content (unique and high-quality text!). Finally, the blog should be indistinguishable from a real website.

Create the pages “Imprint” and “Privacy” in the administration area of WordPress. In the imprints of the respective domains please enter different addresses of real existing persons (of course you should know the persons and ask for permission before). This underlines the seriousness and professionalism of a blog / domain! The pages imprint and privacy can of course also be excluded from indexing via meta robots specification “noindex” (). Thus, the address stored in the imprint cannot be found via Google search.

In order not to reveal the domain owner data to the public (e.g. via publicdomainregistry.com), you should use a Whois-Protect service. This way you can no longer be identified as the owner of a domain (not even for Google). This service is offered free of charge by the hosting providers Exonhost.com, Hostabulous.com, Hostripples.com and Ethernetservers.com.