Building and managing your own PBN (Private Blog Network) can be costly. Webmasters will often do this because they want to give their website maximum authority and ensure it has quality backlinks that will help it rank higher. However, before you consider getting into this type of thing yourself, you need to be aware of the costs involved. Running your own private blog network isn’t free and the costs can often be more than people expect. Along with looking at the costs associated with building and running a PBN, this post will also focus on some of the ways you can save money while developing your own private blog network. Read on to discover everything you need to know!
Buying At Auction
Buying expired domain names at auction is usually pretty straightforward. So even if you’ve never purchased a domain via auction before, you won’t have any problems with understanding the process. However, there are costs which you will need to consider. The best expired domains normally start at around $75 when using websites like DropCatch.com, and there isn’t much point to setting up a PBN unless you’re going to be filling it with the best expired domains you can find.
Domain Registration Costs
If you don’t purchase an expired domain via auction, then you will need to find one that’s already available and register it manually. Domain registration costs can be more than some people think, and it’s something that tends to get overlooked. If you want domain registration costs to remain in check, you will need to price things out before hand and keep renewal costs in mind. Building a private blog network is going to require numerous domains, so whether you get them at auction or register them manually this will be a cost you cannot avoid.
Hosting Costs
Hosting all of these domains is something that you shouldn’t overlook when planning out the overall cost. Every active website uses a host, and that brings hosting costs which you will need to cover. If you’re unsure about how much hosting will cost, you can find comparison websites that can help you find new deals and easily compare several different web hosting companies. Keep in mind, the cheaper options are not always the best ones, even if you want to save money. You need to use web hosts that are reliable and have good speeds. A good web host could also be one that offers features like Fantastico which makes it quicker and easier to get your website online right away. Remember, time is money!
Paying For Good Content
Your new websites will need content and good content is obviously important because you need to keep these sites active and regularly updated to really benefit from all the things a PBN can actually do for you. Content can be purchased from a variety of sources online, from webmaster forums to freelance sites like UpWork.com. If you don’t create content yourself, you’ll need to purchase it and prices aren’t always cheap. Those who want their content to be of the highest standard must be willing to pay a little more for it.
Design Considerations
The designs of your websites will also play an important role. You’ll want each website to use a different design or theme and you’ll also want to use modern designs, even if they’re fairly basic. This can come at a cost, unless you’re able to carry out the design work yourself or use a free theme/template available from the web. Web design doesn’t come cheaply if you need it, and that’s something you should think carefully about. Be sure to factor in how you will handle the design of your websites when planning to create your own PBN!
Time vs Money
If you’re going to put your own time into creating a private blog network, you will probably save more money in the long run. However, not everyone has more time than money, so sometimes it can pay off to hire an expert or two for some assistance with getting everything setup and put online. Consider this when planning your PBN as it will all come down to whether you have more free time or more spare cash to invest in your new project.
Ways to Save Money
If you have several money sites that your PBN can benefit, you will definitely get more bang for your buck. It’s much less cost effective if you have just one money site that you’re looking to improve with a new PBN. You can also save money by doing proper research and ensuring you’re buying the best and most effective expired domains, using good hosting providers the first time around, and even writing your own blog content. All of these will only cost you more money later on if you make a mistake.
As you can see, there are some real costs associated with starting and managing your own PBN. It’s important to understand these factors before you push ahead. However, there are also ways to save money if you decide to go this route and don’t have lots of money to spend. Don’t rule private blog networks out if you don’t have lots of money. Instead, just plan properly with what you have and consider doing some things (like writing your own content) to save additional money.