My PBN Was Deindexed – How to Restore It?

Woke up to a missing PBN? We feel your pain. Google is no secret admirer of Private Blog Networks (PBNs), constantly weeding them out. But hey, while PBNs often deserve the axe, some folks have built legitimate, valuable ones.

Before we panic, let’s explore why your PBN vanished. Maybe there’s a fix. Or, better yet, a chance to build something much stronger in its place. Deep breaths everyone, let’s crack this open and see what went wrong!

My PBN Was Deindexed How to Restore It

Why Your PBN Got Deindexed?

Private Blog Networks (PBNs) have been a popular strategy for boosting search engine rankings, but they come with risks. Google’s algorithms have become increasingly adept at detecting and penalizing PBNs that violate their guidelines.

Low Quality Content

Imagine a library filled with nothing but poorly written pamphlets. That’s what a PBN packed with thin, irrelevant content looks like to Google. Search engines crave informative, valuable websites, and PBNs often fail this test miserably.

Google’s goal is to provide users with the most relevant and valuable information, so if your PBN sites are filled with thin, spammy, or duplicate content, they will be flagged and potentially removed from the search engine’s index.

Unnatural Backlink Profiles

PBNs are all about creating backlinks to a target website. But these links typically scream “unnatural” because they come from sites that are clearly connected only through the PBN network. Google’s algorithms are sophisticated at spotting these patterns and can penalize websites that receive them.

Lack of User Value

Let’s be honest, PBNs are built for one purpose: link juice. They don’t offer anything interesting or informative to actual users. Google prioritizes websites that provide a positive user experience, and PBNs typically strike out here.

Even if your PBN sites have decent content and a somewhat natural link profile, they may still be deindexed if they fail to provide value to users. Google wants to rank websites that offer a positive user experience, so if your sites are thin on substance or lack engagement signals, they may be deemed low-quality and removed from the index.

Shared Hosting Issues

Finally, some PBNs may be deindexed due to issues related to shared hosting. If your PBN sites are hosted on a server with other penalized or spammy sites, it could lead to guilt by association and result in your sites being deindexed as well.

Will It Be Ideal to Restore Your Deindexed PBN?

In most cases, attempting to restore a deindexed PBN may not be the ideal course of action. PBNs have always been a risky strategy, and with Google’s increasing scrutiny and advanced algorithms, the chances of successfully rehabilitating a penalized network are slim.

Rather than pouring time and resources into a restoration effort, the more pragmatic approach would be to scratch the deindexed PBN and start fresh with a new one. This way, you can learn from your mistakes, avoid carrying over any lingering penalties or negative signals, and build a new network from the ground up, ensuring compliance with Google’s guidelines.

Creating a new PBN also allows you to reevaluate your strategy and implement best practices from the outset. This includes sourcing high-quality domains, hosting on reliable servers, creating valuable and engaging content, and building a natural, diverse backlink profile.

Of course, the decision ultimately rests with you and your specific circumstances. If you have a particularly valuable or well-established PBN that you believe is worth fighting for, you can explore the restoration steps outlined in the next section. However, for most cases, cutting your losses and starting anew may be the more prudent choice.

What to Do If You Still Want to Restore Your Deindexed PBN

If you’ve weighed the risks and decided to proceed with restoring your deindexed PBN, here are the steps you should take.

First, Find Out the Issue Behind the Deindexed

The first step in restoring your deindexed PBN is to identify the root cause of the penalty. You can check directly with Google for the reason by opening a fresh browser (clearing your browser history) and adding the website to a fresh Google Webmaster Tool account (never add multiple websites to one account!). This will show the exact penalty your blog received.

Then Take the Necessary Steps

Once you’ve identified the issue behind the deindexed PBN, you can take the necessary steps to address it. Here are two common approaches:

Content Revamp: If your PBN sites were penalized for low-quality content, you’ll need to undergo a thorough content revamp. This involves creating high-quality, valuable content for your PBN sites that truly benefits users. Focus on in-depth, well-researched articles and avoid thin, spammy, or duplicate content at all costs.

To create high-quality content, follow these guidelines:

Backlink Removal: If your PBN was penalized for an unnatural backlink profile, you’ll need to take steps to remove or disavow those links. This process involves using the Disavow Links tool in Google Search Console to tell Google which links you don’t want to be associated with your site.

Here’s how to disavow links safely:

Step 1: Conduct a thorough backlink audit to create a list of low-quality or harmful links to disavow for your PBN sites.

Step 2: Prepare a disavow file as a plain text .txt file with one URL or “domain:” per line to disavow. Use UTF-8/ASCII encoding, max 100k lines, 2MB size. Include comments with #.

Example:

Bad links

http://example.com/spammy.html

domain:badlinksdomain.com

Step 3: In Google Search Console, go to the Disavow Links tool > Select your property > Upload the disavow file (replaces the previous list).

Step 4: Monitor backlinks regularly. Update and re-upload the disavow file periodically as new bad links appear. Proceed carefully, and consult experts if unsure.

It’s important to note that disavowing links should be done with caution, as it can have unintended consequences if not done correctly. If you’re unsure about the process, it’s best to consult with an experienced SEO professional.

Wrapping Up

Well, I won’t sugarcoat it – restoring a deindexed PBN is an uphill battle, but with the right game plan and some serious dedication, it’s definitely doable. The key is to identify what went wrong and take targeted action, whether that’s overhauling your content or cleaning up your backlinks. If you hit any snags or need some extra guidance, don’t hesitate to drop a comment – I’m always happy to lend a hand. Thanks for sticking with me, and here’s to crushing those SEO goals!