How to Build a Reporting Dashboard for PBN Links 

Managing PBN links without proper reporting is like driving blindfolded. You may have paid for links, placed them across multiple sites, and targeted specific pages—but if you're not actively tracking their performance, how do you know what’s actually working? You might be wasting money, duplicating efforts, or worse—leaving harmful links live for months without realizing.

A reporting dashboard takes the guesswork out of managing your Private Blog Network. It gives you a clear view of where links are placed, which ones are indexed, how they’re performing, and where action is needed. Whether you're running your own PBN or renting links from a provider, having a simple yet effective dashboard can make all the difference.

The good news? You don’t need a fancy analytics platform or coding skills to build one. A well-structured Google Sheet or Excel file is more than enough—at least to start.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build a practical, human-friendly reporting dashboard for PBN links.

Step 1: Define What You Need to Track

Before building anything, you need to know what matters most. Your dashboard should track both link health and performance. At a minimum, you’ll want to include the following data points:

• PBN Domain

• Post URL (where the link is placed)

• Target URL (your money page)

• Anchor Text

• Placement Date

• Index Status

• Domain Metrics (DA/DR/TF/CF)

• Traffic (if available)

• Link Type (do-follow or no-follow)

• Status (live, removed, deindexed)

• Notes or Alerts

These fields cover both technical health and strategic impact. Once you have a rough outline of what to track, you can start designing the dashboard layout.

Step 2: Choose the Right Tool

You don’t need expensive software to get started. A basic Google Sheet works wonders—it’s shareable, editable in real time, and integrates with tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs (via manual export).

If you want more power or visuals, you can eventually migrate to tools like:

• Google Data Studio (for real-time dashboards)

• Airtable (if you like more visual interfaces)

• Notion or ClickUp (if you manage SEO projects there)

• Excel with pivot tables for advanced analysis

But don’t overcomplicate things. Start simple.

Step 3: Set Up Columns Logically

Open your sheet and label your columns based on the fields from Step 1. Here’s a recommended order:

| PBN Domain | Post URL | Target URL | Anchor Text | Placement Date | Index Status | DA | DR | TF | CF | DoFollow? | Traffic (Est.) | Status | Notes |

Color-code the headers to make them visually distinct. You can even freeze the top row so it stays visible as you scroll.

Step 4: Add Your Link Data

Now it’s time to populate the dashboard with your existing PBN links. If you’re managing your own network, you likely have the URLs and anchor text on file. If you're buying links, request a placement report from the seller.

For each link:

• Paste the full post URL

• Note the domain name

• Add your target URL

• Include the exact anchor text used

• Record the placement date

If you're unsure about any of these fields, it's better to leave them blank than guess—you’ll fill them in during the auditing process.

Step 5: Check Index Status

A link that’s not indexed by Google is basically invisible. You want every PBN post that contains your link to be indexed.

You can manually check indexation by Googling:
site:pbndomain.com/post-title
If it appears in search results, it's indexed.

For scale, tools like Screaming Frog (with custom search settings), Scrapebox, or index check APIs can help you audit many links quickly.

Mark “Indexed” or “Not Indexed” in the Index Status column.

Step 6: Add Domain Metrics

Metrics like DA (Domain Authority), DR (Domain Rating), TF (Trust Flow), and CF (Citation Flow) give you a general idea of a domain’s link strength. While these numbers aren’t perfect, they offer directional insight.

Use tools like:

• Ahrefs for DR

• Moz for DA

• Majestic for TF/CF

Enter the values into your dashboard. Update these metrics every few months, as domains can change over time.

Optional: Use conditional formatting to highlight high-authority domains in green and weak ones in red for easy scanning.

Step 7: Monitor Traffic (Optional But Helpful)

If you have access to analytics for your PBNs (or if the seller provides estimated traffic), it’s useful to include that in your dashboard. It helps you distinguish between domains with real visibility and those that are ghost towns.

Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to estimate organic traffic. While not 100% accurate, they offer helpful ballpark figures.

Even 100+ monthly visits is a good sign—it shows the PBN site has some life.

Step 8: Track Link Status Over Time

Links can disappear, get edited, or turn into no-follows without notice. That’s why tracking link status over time is crucial.

Set a recurring reminder (every 2–3 months) to check the “Post URL” to confirm:

• Is the page still live?

• Is your link still on the page?

• Is it still do-follow?

• Has anchor text been altered?

Update the “Status” column to reflect any changes:

• Live

• Removed

• No-follow

• Changed

• Deindexed

This simple routine helps you spot and fix issues before they impact rankings.

Step 9: Add Alerts and Notes

A “Notes” column helps you personalize the dashboard. Use it to add details like:

• “Requested link replacement”

• “Site changed ownership”

• “Domain flagged for spam”

• “Needs disavow”

• “Linked to homepage—consider deep link next time”

It keeps everything contextual and easy to revisit later.

Step 10: Keep It Updated

A reporting dashboard is only useful if you maintain it. Set up recurring tasks—monthly or quarterly—to review and update:

• New links you’ve acquired

• Changes in domain metrics

• Lost or broken links

• Updated traffic estimates

• New content or outreach campaigns

If your dashboard becomes outdated, it stops being a decision-making tool and starts being clutter.

Bonus: Add Filters and Sorting

To get the most value, add dropdown filters to your columns. That way you can:

• Filter by non-indexed links

• Sort by highest DA/DR

• Group links by status (live, removed)

• Prioritize links by anchor type

If you're using Google Sheets, the "Filter Views" option makes it easy to save different views for different tasks.

Making It Work Across Teams

If you're managing clients or working with a team, your dashboard can double as a performance report. Share it in view-only mode or create a reporting tab with simplified metrics.

For clients, add a summary section:

• Total links

• Average DA/DR

• Percentage indexed

• Number of lost or fixed links

• Organic traffic changes to target pages

This gives stakeholders quick insights without overwhelming them with SEO details.

A Living System, Not Just a Sheet

A PBN link reporting dashboard isn’t just a spreadsheet—it’s your map. It helps you stay organized, fix problems fast, and scale smarter.

You don’t have to be a spreadsheet wizard or buy expensive tools. Just focus on building something practical, clear, and maintainable. You’ll not only protect your investment in PBN links—you’ll also unlock better performance and smarter link-building strategies.

Start simple. Track consistently. Improve over time.