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Quick Answer: Certain risky but still effective link building methods like PBNs and expired domains can still deliver powerful results, especially in highly competitive niches. However, their risk is significant. Other methods, like blog comments and press releases, aren't inherently risky but become problematic when executed poorly by low-quality services.
I get this question all the time: "Which link building strategies are in that gray area—the ones that are a bit shady, but you know they still work?" It's the SEO equivalent of asking for a secret weapon. The truth is, some of the most powerful tactics walk a fine line between "genius" and "getting your site penalized." Understanding these risky but still effective link building methods is crucial for anyone serious about ranking in tough markets.
Back when I started, the landscape was different. You could get away with a lot more. Today, you have to be smarter and weigh the risk versus the reward. It’s not just about building links; it's about building the *right* kind of links for your specific situation and risk tolerance. We're going to break down what still works, what to avoid, and how to make an informed decision for your SEO campaigns in 2024. If you're looking to build out campaigns on authoritative domains without the risk, check this out: Create your entire parasite SEO campaign in one go with this software ... try it free here.
For a quick overview of these methods, check out the video below where I discuss the effectiveness and dangers associated with each strategy.
The short answer is yes, absolutely. Using Private Blog Networks (PBNs) and links from expired domains can still be incredibly effective for boosting your site's authority and rankings. These methods work by leveraging the pre-existing authority of aged or expired domains to pass "link juice" to your money site.
However, this power comes with a significant catch: they are explicitly against Google's guidelines. This makes them one of the most classic examples of risky but still effective link building methods.
Why They Work: An expired domain with a strong, clean backlink profile from authoritative sites like the BBC or Forbes retains much of its SEO value. By acquiring and redirecting this domain or building a new site on it (a PBN), you can point that authority wherever you want.
The Risk Factor: Google has become exceptionally good at detecting PBN footprints. If discovered, you can face a manual penalty that will tank your rankings overnight. I personally don't use them much these days for my main projects.
The Right Context: If I were operating in a hyper-competitive, black hat niche like online casinos or gambling, PBNs would be a primary tool. In these arenas, the risk is often seen as a necessary cost of doing business because everyone is using aggressive tactics.
PBN links and expired domains can still be very effective, but yes, they are riskier. I don't use these types of links much myself these days, but if I was in a more competitive black hat niche like casino, then of course I would.
Let's clear up a common misconception: blog comments and forum links are not inherently risky or spammy. The problem isn't the link type; it's the execution. The real danger comes from buying these links in bulk from cheap services.
When you purchase a package from a platform like Fiverr, even from sellers with high ratings, you're often getting links from spammy, irrelevant sites. I've reviewed the deliverables from countless services, and frankly, I haven't found a good one yet. They blast your link across unrelated blog comments with generic anchor text, creating a massive red flag for Google.
A genuinely valuable forum or blog comment link is one where you are an active, contributing member of the community. You provide real insight, answer a question thoughtfully, and place a link back to a relevant resource on your site. This approach is natural, helpful, and poses virtually no risk. Looking to generate traffic without relying on risky links? Discover how to get Free traffic from Facebook ... Free Facebook Strategy + Entire Toolbox.
The problem with form and blog comment links is if you buy them from a service, usually the service is horrible and very spammy and low quality. So, if you came over to Fiverr and you looked at all of these... they're just so bad.
Press releases are another link building tactic that gets a bad rap. Are they spammy? No, not if you use them for their intended purpose. Legitimate companies, from startups to Fortune 500 giants, use press releases all the time to announce new products, partnerships, or company milestones. It's a standard public relations tool.
The strategy becomes risky and ineffective when it's abused for SEO. This includes:
Spamming Exact Match Anchors: Creating a press release with the sole purpose of stuffing it with keyword-rich anchor text like "best personal injury lawyer." This is a clear violation of Google's link spam policies.
Excessive Frequency: Pushing out multiple low-value press releases every week. Real news doesn't happen that often.
Using Low-Quality Distribution Services: Many cheap services syndicate your release to thousands of low-authority, spammy news sites, which provides zero SEO value and can even harm your site.
When done correctly—with a genuinely newsworthy story, branded anchors, and distribution through reputable services like PR Newswire—a press release can earn you high-quality, authoritative links and brand mentions.
Normal companies do press releases all the time. Just don't do them in a weird way where you're spamming exact match anchors or doing a ton of them.
To make an informed decision, you need to understand the trade-offs. Here’s a breakdown of the effectiveness and risk level associated with these gray hat SEO tactics.
Link Building Method Effectiveness Risk Level Best Use Case PBNs / Expired Domains Very High Very High Aggressive campaigns in hyper-competitive "black hat" niches (e.g., casino, pharma). Bulk Blog Comments (Services) Very Low High Not recommended. Creates a spammy link profile with minimal to no benefit. Strategic Blog Comments Low to Medium Very Low Building topical relevance and driving referral traffic from niche communities. Spammy Press Releases Very Low Medium Not recommended. A waste of money and a clear spam signal to Google. Legitimate Press Releases Medium Very Low Announcing actual company news to gain brand exposure and potentially earn authoritative links.
Before you invest time or money into any link building strategy, especially a risky one, run it through this simple checklist.
Step 1: Assess Niche Competitiveness. Are your top competitors using aggressive tactics? In some niches, playing it safe means you'll never rank. In others, gray hat methods are overkill.
Step 2: Analyze the Source. For PBNs or expired domains, use tools like Ahrefs to check the domain's backlink history. Is it clean and relevant, or was it used for spam in the past?
Step 3: Check the Risk-to-Reward Ratio. Will this single link or campaign move the needle enough to justify a potential Google penalty? Often, the answer is no.
Step 4: Evaluate the Service Provider. If you're outsourcing, vet the provider heavily. Ask for real case studies and deliverables. Avoid anyone on platforms like Fiverr promising hundreds of links for $10.
Step 5: Prioritize Diversification. Never rely on a single link building method, especially a risky one. A healthy backlink profile is diverse, with links from guest posts, resource pages, digital PR, and more.
Context is Everything: PBNs and expired domains are highly effective but best reserved for aggressive campaigns in competitive niches where the risk is calculated.
Execution Over Method: The risk of blog comments and press releases lies not in the method itself, but in the low-quality, spammy execution offered by cheap services.
Legitimacy Wins Long-Term: Legitimate marketing activities, like authentic press releases and genuine community engagement, are always the safest and most sustainable path to building authority.
Weigh the Consequences: Always consider the potential for a manual penalty from Google. A short-term ranking boost isn't worth losing all your traffic overnight.
Navigating the world of SEO means understanding the full spectrum of tactics, from the squeaky-clean white hat strategies to the darker, more aggressive ones. The key takeaway is that while some risky but still effective link building methods like PBNs can still work wonders in 2024, they are not for the faint of heart or for every type of business. For most website owners, focusing on sustainable, high-quality link acquisition is the smarter long-term play. However, knowing what's possible in the gray and black hat world gives you a more complete understanding of the competitive landscape. Always make decisions based on your specific goals, niche, and risk tolerance. For more cutting-edge strategies and discussions, feel free to Join my Group on Facebook for the latest insigjts about affiliate marketing and product reation.
A PBN, or Private Blog Network, is a network of authoritative websites you control that are used for the sole purpose of building links to your main website to manipulate search engine rankings. These sites are often built on expired domains with pre-existing backlink authority.
Yes, acquiring expired domains specifically to redirect them or use them in a PBN to pass link equity is considered a black hat SEO tactic. It violates Google's guidelines as it is an attempt to artificially inflate a site's authority.
Strategically placed, relevant blog comment links on high-traffic posts can drive referral traffic and build topical relevance. However, they typically have a low direct SEO impact as most are "nofollow." Bulk, spammy comment links do not work and can harm your site.
Low-quality services often promise a large number of links for a very low price (e.g., "500 DA 50+ links for $20"). They are vague about their methods, use public platforms like Fiverr, and their deliverables often consist of spammy forum profiles, blog comments, or links from irrelevant PBNs.
The biggest risk is receiving a manual action penalty from Google. If Google identifies your PBN, they can de-index the network and penalize your money site, causing a catastrophic loss of organic traffic and rankings.
Black hat SEO refers to tactics that are in direct violation of search engine guidelines, like PBNs and keyword stuffing. Gray hat SEO describes tactics that are technically not against the rules but are ethically ambiguous and could become black hat in the future, such as buying expired domains for their authority without being part of an obvious network.
Most links from reputable press release distribution sites are "nofollow" by default. This tells Google not to pass PageRank. However, the value of a press release can come from a journalist at a real news outlet seeing the release and writing a separate story with a natural, "dofollow" link back to your site.
For the vast majority of businesses, the answer is no. The risk of a penalty outweighs the potential reward. They are only "worth it" in extremely competitive niches where such tactics are standard practice and the operators understand and accept the high risk involved.
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