Public and private blog networks both serve the same end goal: boosting traffic for money sites.  Both types come with risks and rewards, and both can be successful if constructed properly.  In general, however, private blog networks are far safer.  Ultimately, public networks are an inferior option for this reason, but can be useful for those who are willing to take the risk.

Defining Public and Private Blog Networks

Private blog networks consist of a series of websites, usually between ten and fifty (but sometimes much larger), which all post content about similar subjects.  Contextual links are added into these posts to link back to money sites, both funneling targeted traffic and building the site’s page rank within Google.  As long as the sites are not identified as part of a PBN, Google sees these backlinks as one individual legitimately referencing another website.  One person manages the network, owns each website, and reaps the benefits with their money site(s).

Public blog networks are similar.  The operation and basis is the same, except that more people are involved.  One entity manages the network and publishes blog posts with backlinks through blogs managed by other people.  This service is provided for owners of money sites for a fee.  In this situation, all three parties end up receiving money in some way.  Some private blog networks also sell backlinks, but this trend is dying.

Google versus Blog Networks

Selling links, filling the World Wide Web with poor content, and generally circumventing the order of natural selection on the internet are all activities frowned upon by Google.  These are not illegal, but since Google is the leading search engine with no close second, it basically dictates what can and cannot happen on the internet.

Public blog networks violate every single one of these rules.  Their entire purpose is to provide backlinks for a price, and to avoid Google’s detection the links are hidden in what appears to be genuine content.  Creating content can be costly, so articles and posts are often written by low-skill writers.  The only difference between public and private networks in this regard is that private networks may not always sell links.

Pros and Cons

Avoiding detection by Google is the primary concern of a blog network.  Public blog networks run a greater risk of this as the managers of the network have limited control over the content on each blog.  If a network is exposed, every single blog and money site linked to it could potentially face repercussions.  Private blog networks are controlled exclusively by one party, so the chances of this happening are low to none.  Even further, if the private network only services money sites owned by the same person, there is no chance that the network will be exposed by poor management of other networks.

Despite the risks, finding a well-managed public network (or private network that is open for business) can be a fantastic resource.  For those looking to boost page ranks and gain traffic, building a private network consumes time and is a much larger investment.  For blog owners, this represents a method to gain some extra money for doing very little work.  And of course, network managers can build and maintain a blog network with lower risk of losing their investment.