How to leverage the search engine value of expired domains.
Building links and authority for a new website is hard but there’s a way to skip a lot of the work. Today’s guest, Sean Markey, explains how to find expired domains and turn them into websites to leverage their search value.
Also: Scratch.org finally resolve, interesting cybersquatting disputes, Sedo’s latest seller-friendly change and more.
Discussed in this podcast: expired domains newsletter
Sponsor: Name.market
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:23 — 22.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)
Matt says
Probably worth mentioning that redirecting expired domains is an old school black hat SEO tactic that is very much on Google’s radar and has lead to many sites getting penalized. You’re basically betting against Google’s ability to distinguish between a legitimate acquisition/rebrand and a (pre-)expiry. The easiest way to do that is to “revive” the old site, which as Sean mentions has legal and ethical implications. So you’re left treading a narrow pathway between getting caught by Google and violating copyright law.
Sean says
Hey Matt! Thanks for commenting. Actually a big fan of CanIRank.com. 🙂
Like all SEO tactics, this one has evolved from how it was strictly done by black hats, and there are ways to do it ethically now.
Obviously rebuilding a site from archive.org is not the brightest path forward, and should really only be done by those that understand the risk (if done at all), but acquiring a domain and building a new and high quality site on it is not black hat, and can help with authority. In my experience, anyway.
Yes, in SEO anything/everything can be abused, but there are ways to use expired domains that don’t increase risk. If nothing else, just picking up an expired domain name that is a GREAT brand and as a bonus comes with authority is a win. Building a strong site on it will help grow one’s business in more than one way.
It’s like handling an axe: you can chop wood to keep yourself warm in the winter or to build a house–or you can misuse the axe and injure yourself (or others!).
In the end, the best SEO advice is to not make big moves until you really know what you’re doing, and to test everything yourself.
Matt says
Sean, agreed 100%! Maybe there’s a way to provide people with some guidance on proper usage along with their purchase of a new domain/axe.
sean says
My new ebook is only $99!! 😉
I do provide some guidance in the newsletter and working on some posts @ my firstname/lastname.com site. Thanks for the suggestions!
Doug says
Great podcast Sean, we’ve noticed in a more recent Google update, many SEO’s reporting sites utilizing 301’s were hit / demoted. There are multiple ways to implement a 301 for SEO benefits and not everyone would have used decent methods like you’ve described.
Just wondering, did you also notice / hear about Google tightening their drip on 301’s in more recent updates?
sean says
Hey Doug!
I have heard these reports, but not seeing anything myself first hand. I think a lot of these reports come from people just buying an expired domain and 301ing it.
Here’s a post from Matt Diggity on using expired domains as PBN posts (which, to be clear, I am not advocating for and do not do this myself), but it has some quality insights related to what you’re referring to. Hope it helps!
https://diggitymarketing.com/expired-domain-test/