Controlling Your Links: How to Build a Private Network

Controlling Your LinksHow to Build a Private Network

BAC, Berlin October 2015

@irishwonder BAC, Berlin October 2015

What is a private network?


Most primitive concept illustration

Money site


A more complex structure


PBN ≠ Private Network

To avoid confusion


“Private Blog Network”

PBN


If your idea of “private” is sharing link sources with hundreds of other “paying customers” of PBNs then yes, call them “Private”

“Private”?


If all your links come from blogs it can be seen as a footprint

It may be enough to prompt digging deeper While digging deeper, other footprints may

be discovered

Blog?


Why DA is not a good metric:Compare this…

A sidenote about DA


...to this:

A sidenote about DA


The downfall of PBNs


May be effective short term You are at the hands of the owner and their

network building skills It’s only a matter of time until they are

discovered and penalised

PBNs Summarised


PBN ≠ Private Network

Once again, to avoid confusion


Built for one beneficiary only Everything randomised (more on this later)

Everything is (or appears) natural

Definition of a private network


Control over link sources -> minimise Penguin risks

Competitive advantage Additional sources of traffic Building long term equity

Benefits


Helping the main site rank better Targeting specific segments of your

customer base Targeting specific geolocations Showcasing specific products or offers Reputation management, including

preemptive reputation management

Purpose


Everything can (and should)

be done for more than one purpose!

Purpose


Of course they do

Do private networks work?


Short answer:

NO

Are private networks for everyone?


- Why not?

- Mainly, because of the costs involved

Are private networks for everyone?


New domain cost: $8-20 Aged domain cost: $8-X,000

You will also need to spend time finding and evaluating suitable domains, hosting them, putting up the sites, etc.

Costs breakdown


Costs breakdown


Let’s assume average domain cost of $30 Let’s assume average host cost of $60/year Let’s assume you spend 1 hour finding each

domain and your time is worth $100/hour

10 domains x $30 = $30010 hosts x $60 = $60010 hours x $100 = $1,000-----------------------TOTAL: $1,900

Cost estimates for a very small network


Before you start, have a strategy The above estimates do not include the cost

of putting up a site Not all domains you get may be usable This is a LONG TERM project There are recurring costs starting from year

2 Randomise everything – no shortcuts!

Some precautions


You are building something to game Google – make sure you don’t hand it to Google!

Things to avoid:◦ Gmail◦ Google Docs/Drive◦ Google Analytics (multiple sites in the same

account)◦ Google Webmaster Tools/Search Console

(multiple sites in the same account)◦ Chrome

The greatest precaution


Domain age Link profile metrics Registration dates Registrars Whois details Hosts Site platforms Payment methods Anything else you can think of

Randomise everything


There’s no such thing as being

too paranoid when building

a private network

Randomise everything


Building progress over time


New domains Expired domains Aftermarket Auctions

Sources of domains


GoDaddy Aftermarket

Sources of domains


The.domain.name

Domain hunting tools


irishwonder.com/tdn/

Want a free trial of TDN?


Freshdrop RegisterCompass … Registrar feeds directly for dropped domains



Freshdrop



Age Link profile (strength, relevancy, anchor

texts, spammy links) Previous onsite history Previous ranking/penalty history

How to evaluate a domain


Domain age and ownership history


Domain age and onsite history


Link profile


Ranking/penalty history


What You Don’t Want


What you don’t want


This Screams Shitty PBN


Initial metrics: TF 36 CF 20 After purchase:

Domains losing value


The reason:

Domains losing value


Redirect them Host them, restore the sites and link to the

main site Host them, develop new sites and link to

the main site Host them, restore the sites and keep

developing new content while linking to main site

What to do with your domains


Wayback Machine (archive.org) CommonCrawl Blekko

… or pull up old content in TDN(free trial link again: irishwonder.com/tdn/ )

Sources of old content


Things to watch for: Sites uptime Sites security Decreasing value Spam (onsite and offsite) Renewal dates

Long Term Network Management


More Info


Questions? Feel free to get in touch!

• [email protected]• Twitter: @irishwonder• Slideshare:

http://www.slideshare.net/irishwonder/• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/irishwonder• Blogs:

http://www.irishwonder.com/blog/ - general SEOhttp://www.irishwonder.syndk8.co.uk/ - darker areas

Controlling Your Links: How to Build a Private Network

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