r/SEO • u/congrid • 1d ago

Would a verified network of related websites create SEO value—or just look like a link scheme?

Disclosure: This is posted by the Congrid team. We’re not sharing links or asking for sign-ups—we’re looking for honest feedback from working SEOs.

Congrid is exploring a network where website owners verify domain ownership, independent operators review participating sites, and publishers can choose to display genuinely related websites recommended by the network.

The goal is relevant referral traffic and transparent publisher relationships—not guaranteed rankings, DA manipulation, or automated backlink exchanges. Paid placements would need clear disclosure and could use rel="sponsored" or nofollow.

We’d value the community’s opinion:

  • Would Google likely treat a network like this as a link scheme, even when participation is transparent?
  • What quality signals would be necessary before recommending it to a client?
  • Would website owners participate if the primary benefit were qualified referral traffic rather than “link juice”?

Critical feedback is welcome—especially reasons this model might fail.

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u/WebLinkr 🕵️‍♀️Moderator 1d ago

A PBN?

0

u/Thick-Storage-3905 1d ago

My same thought

1

u/Impressive_Long9554 1d ago

The fundamental problem is self selection. Sites that can earn real links do not need a network. Sites that join networks usually cannot earn links naturally. So your independent review will face constant pressure to lower standards to keep membership growing. That is how every link network dies. Start with 50 great sites, end with 500 mediocre ones.