What are aged domains and how to leverage them?
If you're looking to give your SEO efforts a boost, aged domains might be just the trick. Here's the lowdown: What are aged domains? Aged domains are basically domain names that have been around for a while. They've been registered and used before, but for whatever reason, the previous owner let them expire or decided to sell. The cool thing is, these domains often come with some built-in SEO juice! Why use aged domains for SEO? 1. Bypass the Google sandbox: New domains often get stuck in the "Google sandbox" for a while, but aged domains can help you skip this waiting period. 2. Instant authority: If the domain has a good history, you're inheriting its authority and trust in Google's eyes. 3. Backlink profile: Many aged domains come with existing backlinks, which can give you a head start in your link-building efforts. 4. Faster indexing: Google tends to crawl established domains more frequently. How to use aged domains: 1. Build a new site: Use the aged domain to start a new website in a related niche. 2. 301 redirect: Point the aged domain to your existing site for an SEO boost. 3. Create a PBN (Private Blog Network): Use multiple aged domains to build a network of sites linking to your main site. (Note: This is a bit of a grey hat technique, so proceed with caution!) 4. Flip domains: Buy low, improve the site, and sell high. How to buy aged domains: 1. Domain marketplaces: Check out places like Odys, GoDaddy Auctions, Sedo, or NameCheap for expired domains. 2. Specialized tools: Use tools like SpamZilla or DomCop to find and analyze potential domains. 3. Manual search: Use the Wayback Machine to check a domain's history. Things to check before buying: 1. Domain age: Generally, the older the better. 2. Backlink profile: Use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to check the quality and quantity of backlinks. 3. Previous content: Make sure it wasn't used for spam or in an unrelated niche. 4. Traffic history: Tools like SEMrush can give you an idea of past traffic.