How To Buy Expired Domains

This article will discuss where and why to buy an expired domain rather than registering a new one from scratch. An expired domain gives you a much better headstart on building a successful niche site. This article is meant to go hand in hand with Project DIY Niche Site. We are building a niche site from scratch and giving it away to a reader.

“New Domains Not Good”

If you are a new niche site “netrepreneur” then you are may be making one of the most common mistakes out there when it comes to your domain selection. If you are following the typical path of the newb then you are simply going to someone like Name.com and searching for a domain that is available. Once you find one that suits your needs, you register it and move on along your merry way.

TrustRank

Google has an internal algorithm (about a billion of them) that is called a “trustrank” that they factor into your search engine rankings. The longer a domain has been in existence then typically Google makes an assumption that the site is legitimate, has value and is a site that can be trusted. Some speculate that Trustrank and PageRank are one in the same but nobody outside of Google seems to know for sure.

If you register a new domain then it is brand new to Google. They don’t know you, haven’t met you, never seen you before and therefore they don’t “trust” that you bring value to web searchers. They expect you to prove yourself, to show your stuff, to show your value to the world. Until they decide to trust you then there is a good chance that your site will be put in the box…..the Google Sandbox.

The Google sandbox is a much discussed entity that, according to some, does not even exist, however I think most niche siters that have been doing it a while will agree that it does indeed exist and you should take it very seriously.

If your site ends up in the sandbox then your site may not be allowed to rank for any competitive keywords for as long as a year!! This is a KILLER for a niche site and you should do almost anything you can do to avoid such a fate. Let’s find out how.

Expired Domains

It is possible to purchase what is called an expired domain. These are domains that were registered at one time to someone who has not renewed their registration. They have either overlooked the renewal process or more likely have abandoned the site for one reason or another.

The great thing about an expired domain is that they are typically at least a year old and will greatly improve your odds of avoiding the dreaded sandbox. Google uses a domains age as a factor in determining it’s trust score and as such will help you avoid the box.

Another pro is that if you search diligently you can find expired domains with PageRank. I’ve heard of people finding domains with as high as PR6 but I would have to think this is quite rare.

All upside and no downside…you can buy a seasoned domain and maybe even built in pagerank. You start out as an authority site right from day one. This is a HUGE advantage to registering a new domain from scratch. In my opinion you should NEVER, EVER buy a new domain name for a niche site.

Where to Buy?

I am sure I have your attention so let’s talk about where you can buy these expired domains. A number of sites exist but the most common is found at GoDaddy. If you navigate to their page and select the domain auctions tab you will find the area of Godaddy that you are looking to find. It is otherwise known as TDNam.

You have a couple of options at this point, you can bid on domains that are currently registered and place them on backorder or you can buy an expired domain. This is a domain that has been abandoned and is waiting for someone to scoop it up. If you click on the thumbnail at the right you will see the screen you should be looking at.

How to Buy?

To purchase expire domains is a pretty simple process. You have to pay to join Godaddy’s domain auction network. It’s 4.99 a year and if you intend to purchase very many domains then this is worth the fee. These stupid little fees are my biggest pet peeve with GoDaddy. I will only use them for one thing and thats domain registration and nothing else.

There are two types of auctions that you will see for these expired domains. Sometimes you will see domains with a Buy it Now auction that you can simply purchase on the spot for that price and then other times it will be an auction with time remaining on it. Anyone in the domain network can bid on these domains and basically it goes to the highest bidder.

Once you find the jewel that you can’t live without then you either bid or buy, if you win the domain then you pay via whatever method you select. Most of the time the domain will have to “clear” before it becomes yours. This is basically a short time period that the original registrar has the opportunity to reregister their domain. If this does happen the GoDaddy will refund your money.

What Next?

This is a pretty complex topic so I know I skipped a few steps and don’t have enough screen shots to fully document the process but really if you aren’t smart enough to navigate the site once I get you there then you shouldn’t be building niche sites to begin with. No offense intended but facts are facts.

Once you have acquired your domain, it has cleared and you own it officially then you can host it wherever you like and just point the Nameservers at your host. Easy stuff and you could end up with a seasoned domain and PR all in one fell swoop. If you want to check the domain age before purchasing then hit this Domain Age Checker.

Project DIY Niche Site

I currently have a niche site project where I am building a niche site to give away to a reader of this blog. You can read about Project DIY Niche Site and see the domain I am using. I picked up paintballfun.info as the domain for this project.

It isn’t a homerun but it’s a good choice for my project. The domain has no PR but it is about 7 years old. This will help me start ranking for my keywords MUCH faster than if I were to use a newly registered domain.

That’s a short lesson on how and why you should buy expired domains. It’s an in depth topic so feel free to ask any questions or offer a comment if you have one.