PBN Backlinks: 4 Hidden Risks Your SEO Agency Won't Tell You
Sep 1, 2025
Some people think PBN backlinks are a shortcut to better rankings. But these manipulative links can destroy your website faster than you built it up. Google's detection systems have become incredibly sophisticated at spotting private blog networks and hitting them with penalties that can wipe out years of SEO work.
PBN links carry serious risks that far outweigh any temporary benefits. When Google catches you using manipulative link building tactics, your site faces manual actions that can be devastating. During Google's major PBN crackdown in 2014, some websites saw traffic drops of up to 90 per cent in a single weekend.
Similarly, links "intended to manipulate PageRank or a site's ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme and a violation of Google's Webmaster Guidelines". This blog will expose the hidden dangers of PBN backlinks and show you how to identify and remove these risky links before they ruin your rankings.
What Are PBN Backlinks and How They Work
Private blog networks are among the most controversial tactics in SEO. While genuine link building focuses on earning natural backlinks, PBNs operate with one goal: manipulation.
Definition of PBNs in the SEO context
A (PBN) consists of a group of websites created or acquired exclusively to provide backlinks to another website, often called the "money site." PBNs exist solely to artificially boost the perceived authority of a target website in search engines.
Rather than earning links naturally through quality content, PBN owners control every aspect of their link building, choosing exactly where links appear and which anchor text to use. Essentially, these networks manufacture the "votes of confidence" that backlinks represent in Google's ranking system.
How expired domains are used to build PBNs
Most PBNs start with acquiring expired domains that already possess established authority and backlink profiles. This approach offers several advantages:
The domains already have existing authority from their previous life
They often come with pre-existing backlinks that pass value
Google generally recognizes these sites faster than new domains
After purchasing an expired domain, the PBN operator adds basic content and strategically places links pointing to their money site. Operators take various precautions to hide their network's footprint, including using different hosting providers, varying IP addresses, and implementing diverse themes.
Tier 1 vs Tier 2 PBN sites
PBN networks commonly employ a tiered structure to maximize effectiveness:
Tier 1 PBN sites are built on expired domains with substantial existing authority. These sites directly link to the money site and pass the strongest link equity. They represent the most valuable assets in the network.
Tier 2+ PBN sites generally possess less authority than Tier 1 sites. Their primary function involves strengthening Tier 1 sites rather than directly boosting the money site. This creates a layered approach that attempts to make the link scheme appear more natural to search engines.
What Goes Into Building a PBN Backlink Network
Building a PBN isn't something you can throw together in a weekend. The process requires significant technical expertise and careful planning to avoid Google's detection systems.
Buying expired domains with backlink profiles
Every PBN starts with acquiring expired domains that already have established authority. Operators usually hunt for these through auction houses like GoDaddy, NameJet, and Snapnames.
High-quality domains with 50+ referring domains and DR30+ cost between $2,000-$3,000 each. This represents just the starting expense; domain prices have increased tenfold in under a decade.
Hosting and hiding ownership footprints
Concealing ownership patterns becomes crucial for PBN survival. This involves:
Using different domain registrars for each site
Employing various hosting providers with distinct IP addresses
Implementing unique themes and designs across all sites
Diversifying nameservers to avoid connection patterns
Sophisticated PBN operators house domains on reputable servers to "hide their PBN in the sea of legitimate websites".
Using AI or spun content to populate sites
Most PBNs rely on low-quality AI-generated content, but investing in better articles yields superior results. Whereas sites with quality content experience up to 7x better performance since Google increasingly scrutinizes content quality.
Blocking SEO tools via robots.txt and .htaccess
PBN operators frequently block competitive analysis tools through:
1. robots.txt files that disallow specific bots (simpler but visible to competitors)
2. .htaccess configurations that redirect SEO tools to unrelated websites (more effective and invisible)
These techniques prevent competitors from discovering backlink sources while maintaining Google's ability to crawl and index the sites.
Why SEO Agencies Still Use PBN Links
So why do agencies keep pushing PBN backlinks when the risks are so high? The answer lies in the strategic advantages these networks provide; benefits that traditional link building can't match.
Control over anchor text and link placement
Complete control is the biggest selling point of PBN links. Instead of hoping publishers accept your anchor text suggestions, you decide exactly where links appear and which keywords they target. This precision allows SEO agencies to optimize backlink profiles with surgical accuracy, choosing specific pages to boost and crafting anchor text that aligns perfectly with ranking objectives.
Faster results compared to white-hat SEO
White hat link building is slow. You need to create exceptional content, pitch to websites, wait weeks for replies, and face frequent rejections. Whereas PBNs skip these time-consuming steps entirely. Many agencies turn to PBNs because they can deliver:
Immediate link placement without waiting for approvals
Quicker ranking improvements for impatient clients
Rapid visibility for newly launched websites
This acceleration proves particularly valuable when clients demand fast results.
Use in high-competition or gray niches
PBN strategies thrive in specific market environments where manual link building faces significant barriers. Some industries make natural link acquisition extremely difficult:
High-competition sectors: Legal services, insurance, finance, healthcare, and premium real estate often see PBN usage due to fierce competition.
Gray market niches: Industries like gambling, crypto, or CBD present limited natural link opportunities, making PBNs an attractive alternative.
4 Hidden Risks of PBN SEO You're Not Told
Your agency probably talks about the benefits of PBNs all day long. But what about the risks they conveniently skip over? The reality is far uglier than most SEO professionals want to admit.
1. Manual penalties and ranking drops
Google doesn't mess around when they catch artificial link schemes. They can issue manual actions against your website that devastate your traffic overnight. Recovery takes months of remediation work, assuming you can recover at all. Many sites never bounce back to their previous rankings, even after the penalty gets lifted.
2. Google's SpamBrain and link ignoring
Google's AI systems, including SpamBrain, now detect and neutralize manipulative links without even bothering to penalize you. You could be paying thousands for PBN links that Google ignores. John Mueller has confirmed this approach; instead of penalizing unnatural links, Google just pretends they don't exist.
3. High cost of domain acquisition and maintenance
Quality expired domains with solid metrics now cost between $2,000-$3,000 each. You'll also need multiple hosting accounts, fresh content creation, and constant maintenance. When you add it all up, PBNs often cost more than genuine link building strategies while delivering questionable results.
4. Impact on website resale value
PBN backlinks will hurt your valuation when you want to sell your business someday. Smart buyers always conduct due diligence on backlink profiles. When they spot risky PBN links, they either demand steep discounts or walk away completely. This damages your business's long-term equity value for short-term ranking boosts.
How to Detect and Disavow PBN Links
You need to act fast after finding suspicious backlinks pointing to your site. Luckily, there are several tools that can help you identify these risky links before they cause serious damage.
Use Ahrefs and Semrush to find link patterns
Both Ahrefs and Semrush excel at uncovering PBN networks hiding in your backlink profile. Ahrefs gives you deep backlink analysis, showing trust flow, referring domains, and anchor text patterns. On the other hand, Semrush's Backlink Network Graph Report makes PBN clusters obvious; you can see the connections mapped out visually. Red flags to watch for:
High domain authority but almost zero organic traffic: classic PBN behavior
Unnatural anchor text distribution
Links from sites with thin, low-quality content
Multiple links from domains in completely unrelated niches
Identify shared IPs and WHOIS footprints
Once you spot suspicious domains, dig deeper into their technical footprints. PBN operators often get sloppy with hosting details. Use Ahrefs Site Explorer's Referring IP report to check if multiple linking domains share the same servers.
Then, examine RDAP (the new WHOIS) data for repeated registration information across domains. Other warning signs include identical Google Analytics codes, similar WordPress themes, and sites that all started publishing around the same time.
Disavow file creation and reconsideration request
When you've confirmed PBN links, Google's disavow tool is your safety net. Create a text file listing each harmful domain with the "domain:" prefix. Make sure you use UTF-8 encoding with one domain per line.
Upload this through Google Search Console's disavow tool, but don't expect instant results; Google needs weeks to recrawl and process everything. If you're dealing with a manual penalty, file a reconsideration request explaining exactly what you've done to clean up your link profile.
Conclusion
PBN backlinks are a risky gamble that puts your entire website at stake. You know how these artificial networks promise fast results while hiding the damaging consequences that can follow. Your agency may focus on the control and speed PBNs offer, but they're likely not mentioning Google's advanced detection capabilities.
A single penalty can wipe out 90% of your traffic overnight. Therefore, build genuine relationships and create content that naturally earns links. Yes, it takes longer, but you'll build sustainable authority without constantly worrying about the next algorithm update. These tactics carry risks that far outweigh any temporary gains.
Your website deserves better than a foundation built on manipulation. Choose sustainable practices that will protect your rankings through every algorithm update and manual review.
FAQ
What are PBN backlinks?
PBN backlinks come from a Private Blog Network, which is a collection of websites created with the main purpose of linking back to another site to boost its rankings. These sites are often built using expired domains that already have some authority, and then repurposed to pass link equity to the target site.
What does PBN stand for in SEO?
PBN in SEO stands for Private Blog Network. It’s considered a “black-hat” or at least a risky SEO strategy because Google discourages manipulative link building. While PBNs can still move rankings in the short term, they carry a high risk of penalties if discovered.
What is a PBN in marketing?
In marketing, a PBN refers to the same concept; a network of controlled websites used to artificially influence search rankings. Instead of earning links naturally through content, PR, or outreach, marketers use PBNs to create their own backlink ecosystem. Some marketers still use them in 2025, but they are less common and much riskier compared to white-hat approaches like guest posting, digital PR, or HARO.