Link networks refer to a group of websites that strategically interlink with each other to improve search engine rankings for their target websites. It involves the creation of a network of links that point to a particular website or web page, which helps increase its popularity and authority.
Backlink building is the process of acquiring links from other websites that direct traffic back to your website. It involves creating high-quality content that other webmasters will want to link to.
Link farming and PBNs are practices that involve creating multiple low-quality websites solely for the purpose of providing backlinks to a primary website. This is considered a black hat SEO technique and can lead to penalties from search engines.
Anchor text manipulation is a technique used by spammers to manipulate search engine rankings by artificially inflating the number of backlinks with exact-match anchor text. Google has made changes to its algorithms to penalize such practices.
Link networks are considered black hat SEO techniques because they manipulate search engine rankings using low-quality links and deceptive practices such as link farming and PBNs. They violate Google's guidelines, and sites caught using them can face penalties.
The best way to avoid link networks is by focusing on building high-quality content that naturally obtains backlinks. Monitor your incoming links regularly, disavow any spammy or low-quality links, and avoid participating in link schemes or buying links.
While link networks may provide short-term gains in search engine rankings, they can ultimately harm your site's overall performance by attracting penalties from search engines. Therefore, it's best to avoid these practices altogether.
In short, link networks are not a recommended SEO strategy, and webmasters should focus on creating high-quality content that naturally attracts backlinks. Avoid black hat SEO practices such as link farming, PBNs, and anchor text manipulation.
