{"id":5336,"date":"2022-03-18T06:09:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T06:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/?p=5336"},"modified":"2023-05-11T06:42:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T06:42:40","slug":"expired-domains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seobuddy.com\/blog\/expired-domains\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find and Leverage Expired Domains for SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know that you could buy expired domains and use them to improve your SEO?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a lot of people don\u2019t. Sadly, despite its effectiveness, using expired domains remains an underrated SEO<\/a> strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, you will learn all about the benefits of using expired domains and how they can help you boost traffic and authority. You will also learn the top places to buy expired domains and ways to leverage them to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to go further on your SEO journey<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What are Expired Domains?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you buy a domain, it\u2019s not a one-time purchase, but you need to make annual payments to keep using the domain. When site owners do not renew their domain registration, the domain gets expired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In such cases, the host renders such domains\/websites inactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site owners usually get some grace period to extend their payments after which the domain can be sold off at auction sites by the host. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why would someone purchase expired domains?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Should You Search for Expired Domains?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Expired domains were once active websites and may have accrued some authority and traffic while they were active. When you purchase expired domains, you get all these benefits in the deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, if you play your cards right, you can get lucrative expired domains that still have some authority and backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the ways you can use expired domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Create a Microsite<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can take advantage of expired domains\u2019 authority by creating a microsite within your main website. Use such domains to create a set of relevant web pages (microsite) that will work independently within your main site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will not only help you get more traffic but will also improve your website\u2019s authority,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct Traffic to Your Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way to leverage expired domains to get more traffic to your website is by setting up 301 redirects. If the expired domain had a steady flow of traffic before it got inactive, chances are that it will get some of it back once it becomes active again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you capitalize on that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set up redirects from individual web pages on that website to corresponding pages on yours. This way, you\u2019ll instantly earn some of the traffic that the domain was getting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

301 redirects essentially tell search engines that the content or the page has moved to a new location. So, Google will consider the new page (where a redirect is pointing) as the updated location for the old content. 301 redirects will send all the traffic and link juice to the new page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, for this tactic to work, you need to set up 1:1 redirects for every page on the old site to your main site, with the same or similar content. That is why it is important that you buy expired domains within your niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build a Blog Network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This strategy works best if you buy several expired domains within your niche and use them for building backlinks to your main site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can create an entire network of blogs with relevant content pertaining to your niche and have them link each other and to your main site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recover the Old Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes you may find expired domains that have good content relevant to your niche and a decent amount of traffic and authority. In such cases, you may simply recover the old site and use it for your benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building authority for a new site may take years. Using expired domains can give you a headstart as it would already have some authority and good content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resell It for a Profit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is not exactly one of the SEO tactics, but just another way in which you can use expired domains. You can buy expired domains that you think will be in demand and sell them for a profit to people who want them more than you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, now that you know why expired domains are useful for SEO, let\u2019s discuss how to find expired domains that you can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Find Expired Domains <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are different types of tools that you can use to find expired domains in your niche. Almost all of these will provide you with search filters to sort the list and find exactly what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to learn the different types of tools at your disposal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Domain Registrars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Domain registrars are basically the sites from which you can buy domains. These sites have a complete list of available, active, and expired domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using domain registrars like GoDaddy, you can find high-quality expired domains within your niche. These sites usually have enough filters to help you find the right types of expired domains that you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can, for example, search for expired domain names by keywords, traffic, domain age, extensions, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GoDaddy also runs domain name auctions, so you can bid for the expired domains that you like. Or you can simply find the owner of an existing domain and contact the owner to see if they\u2019re willing to sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another registrar that is great for finding expired domain names is DomCop. You can use it to find expired domains with high-quality backlinks that will directly help you with SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via <\/em>DomCop<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pro Tip<\/strong>: Another advantage of buying from a registrar is that there will be no downtime and you won\u2019t need to change the registrar after purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auction Sites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are the sites where hosts can sell expired domains that have been inactive for a while. These may be registrars or third-party sites that deal specifically with auctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only disadvantage of taking this route is that there is no upper limit on the price of a domain as it depends on how much people are willing to bid. So, if you get into a bidding war with someone, the prices can rise rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, it is an effective way to get your hands on coveted expired domains in your niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few auction sites that you can check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NameJet<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via NameJet<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You simply need to create an account, provide your credit card information, and start bidding. The platform charges a 2.5% transaction fee for both the sale and purchase of expired domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sedo<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via Sedo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is another good auction site that you can use to quickly find relevant expired domains. It also offers three different types of auction formats to choose from and takes a 15% commission on all completed transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain Name Marketplaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marketplaces differ from auction sites in one key aspect\u2014the prices are fixed and, more often than not, you can see the exact price of each domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes these sites one of the most direct and quickest ways of buying expired domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to know the best part?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can search for relevant domains using search filters like domain age, price, niche, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, which sites should you use for this purpose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the most popular sites to find expired domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expired Domains<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via Expired Domains<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This site will simply give you a huge list of expired domains\u2014no fuss, no lengthy process, simply a database of expired domains. You can then use its many filters to find the relevant domains for your business. The best part is that it is free to sign-up and start using all of its amazing features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RegisterCompass<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via RegisterCompass<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is another site where you can easily find expired domains within any niche. it has a database of over 1.5 million expired domains for you to choose from. To use this tool, however, you need to buy their paid plan that costs $37 per month. You can also go for quarterly, annual, and lifetime plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SpamZilla<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image via SpamZilla<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the best sites to find expired domains because it gives you an overall \u201cSpamZilla Score\u201d to assess the quality of a domain. It checks spam, backlinks, domain authority, and all other important metrics to find the best expired domains for you.It also has some of the most advanced filters to find the perfect expired domains for your business. They have a free plan that allows you to review 25 domains and a paid plan for $37 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Select the Right Expired Domains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While expired domains can be really useful for SEO, not all domains are worth investing in. You need to vet the expired domains to select the most relevant and useful ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the following parameters to judge a domain before you make a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Backlinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Analyze the backlink profile of the expired domains that you wish to purchase. A good site will have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n