When it comes to building backlinks, most SEOs ask: Should I use PBNs or guest posts?
The answer depends on your goals, timeline, budget, and risk tolerance. While both have pros and cons, combining them strategically often delivers the best results.
Let’s compare both — and show how smart PBN link building fits into a broader SEO strategy.
What Are Guest Posts?
Guest posts are articles you publish on someone else’s blog, often in exchange for a backlink.
Pros:
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White-hat and safe
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Build relationships and brand exposure
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Can drive referral traffic
Cons:
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Expensive and time-consuming
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Limited anchor text control
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Slow results
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Many links are no-follow or on weak sites
What Are PBN Links?
PBN backlinks come from privately owned sites created specifically for passing SEO value.
Pros:
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Fast results
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Full control over anchor text and placement
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Scalable and repeatable
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Great for ranking inner pages
Cons:
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Riskier if done wrong
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Requires investment in domain, content, and hosting
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Must avoid footprints
Suggested further reading: “How to Diversify Anchor Text in a PBN Strategy“
When to Use Guest Posts
Use guest posts when:
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You need trust/branding
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You’re building a white-hat profile
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You want to acquire referral traffic
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You’re in a low-competition niche and not in a rush
When to Use PBNs
Use PBN backlinks when:
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You want faster rankings
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You’re in a competitive niche
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You need control over anchors
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You’re supporting deeper inner pages
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You already have a clean, foundational link profile
Suggested further reading: “Combining PBN Links with Guest Posts for Maximum Power“
Why the Hybrid Approach Wins
Smart SEOs combine both:
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Guest posts for safety and trust
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PBNs for speed and control
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Tiered structure (PBNs linking to guest posts = added power)
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Balance of natural + aggressive link building
This gives you a backlink profile that looks organic, diverse, and powerful.
Final Thoughts
Guest posts are great — but they’re slow, expensive, and unpredictable.
That’s why experienced SEOs use PBN link building to push their key pages up the rankings, safely and strategically.
Want powerful results with the perfect mix of control and performance? Our PBN building service is built to give you exactly that — no fluff, no spam.
