I would be lying if I told you that all domains are like wine because they get better with age.
The fact is that some websites don’t age well, and they end up at auctions where they’re sold for a fraction of what they might be worth to a digital entrepreneur with the right vision.
The domain age isn’t among Google’s ranking parameters, despite countless claims that its algorithm favors content posted on domains that have been in Google’s indexes for a long time.
Why are then aged domains so valuable?
The answer is simple, backlinks.
Google picks up the first time a website is linked to another site and pushes it higher up the SERP if it detects backlinks. This means starting a blog on an old domain is faster and cheaper than on a newly registered domain.
I’ll walk you through the steps needed to find an aged domain you can use to build website content.
The Core Characteristics of Aged Domains
Before we go further, I’d like to draw your attention to the difference between an expired and an aged domain. These terms are often used interchangeably even though they refer to slightly different types of domains.
Let’s start with the similarities. An expired domain is a broader term encompassing all domains currently not under a lease.
Both types of domains no longer have an owner; at least technically, their previous owners can still claim them during the redemption period.
And now on to the differences.
An aged domain served at one point in its history as an actual website that had content, backlinks, and visitors. On the other hand, the term expired domain can also refer to a parked domain name.
An expired domain is any old or new domain that entered the grace period, while the term aged domain is usually used for domains older than five years.
The Advantages of Building a Content Website on an Aged Domain
There’s a never-ending debate about whether the aged domain’s value comes from its creation date. The short answer is that a domain isn’t necessarily valuable just because it is old.
Hence, whether or not you can build a successful content website on an aged domain will depend on several factors unrelated to its age. So let’s look at what you can gain from obtaining an aged domain.
1. Existing Backlinks
Almost all the value of an old domain comes from the quality of its backlinks. Link building is expensive, as you may have to spend $100 or more to create a single linking root domain.
A successful content website needs hundreds of linking roots, meaning you’ll have to spend more than $10,000 on its backlinks.
An aged domain has existing backlinks, which at least initially reduces your costs.
Moreover, domains registered ten years ago have higher authority on search engines. The reason – they had more time to accumulate valuable links from relevant niche sites than domains registered a few years ago.
2. Avoiding the Google Sandbox Period
A freshly launched content website cannot rank for keywords for the first six to eight months.
The so-called Google Sandbox period limits the effectiveness of your SEO strategy by assigning low search engine results ratings to your website.
In other words, new websites rank less on search engines due to the lack of backlinks and authority.
Building a website on an aged domain will enable you to skip this period because the search engine algorithm already recognizes it as relevant and authentic.
3. Redirecting Traffic
Aged domains can help your business even if you don’t want to use them as a foundation for a content website.
Redirecting traffic to the website you’re already running will boost its organic traffic. Consequently, the website’s visibility will improve, potentially increasing its monthly revenue.
However, this approach only works if the aged domain is relevant to your website’s niche since there’s no point in redirecting traffic from a beauty blog to a tech site.
The Risks of Buying an Aged Domain
I assume an aged domain isn’t worth buying unless proven otherwise. Adopting this strategy makes me extra cautious, but it helps me steer clear of domains with a questionable reputation.
Most of the risks associated with building a content website on an aged domain come from Google’s policies. Here’s what to avoid while choosing an old domain.
1. Publishing Unrelated Content
Google updates its algorithm between 500 and 600 times per year.
Each update carries the risk of decimating a website’s traffic if the algorithm detects its owner posting content unrelated to the site’s topic.
So, you must check if an aged domain wasn’t demoted during an algorithm update in the past and ensure all new content you upload is similar to the domain’s old content.
2. Manual Actions
You cannot know if an old domain got Google’s manual penalty until you acquire it. However, you can search for signs that might indicate the domain was penalized in the past. These parameters might suggest that Google took manual action against a domain:
- Low organic traffic rates while the domain was active
- None of the domain’s pages is in the Google Index
Fortunately, you can correct the issues on affected pages that prompted Google to take action.
3. Low Backlink Quality
Some aged domains can hurt your chances of building a successful content website because they contain high amounts of links to content the algorithm recognizes as spam.
Cleaning up a domain’s link profile is possible, but it is a long and time-consuming process.
So, the best you can do to protect your investment in an aged domain is to check the quality of its backlinks.
4. Doing the Due Diligence
Building a content website on an aged domain requires extensive planning.
Before you start bidding on a domain, you must research it and determine if there’s anything in its history that might hurt your chances of developing an authoritative website.
Here are some vital steps you must take while researching an aged domain.
5. Finding out the Domain’s Creation Date
The first item on your due diligence checklist should be discovering a domain’s creation date.
Expired domains aren’t necessarily old, so you might accidentally buy a recently registered domain if you skip this step.
The Whois database lets you see a domain’s creation and expiry dates. In addition, you can use the Way Back Machine on the Internet Archive to learn more about its history and periods of inactivity.
6. Backlink Background Check
Your entire SEO strategy depends on the quality of the aged domain’s backlinks.
I know this sounds overly dramatic, but you’ll have almost no chance of developing an authoritative content website if the aged domain you want to build it on contains spammy links.
Also, links pointing to the domain should come from sites in the same niche since links to pages with unrelated topics don’t help with traffic or search engine rankings.
Ahrefs and similar SEO tools can help you check how many backlinks a domain has and determine the reliability of referring domains.
7. Confirming Topical Relevance
Buying an aged domain from the fitness niche and then publishing content about unrelated topics is a recipe for disaster.
Hence, you must choose a domain from the niche you’re targeting and then make an extra effort to produce similar content.
Otherwise, you’re risking being on the wrong end of Google’s manual action and obliterating any possibility of success.
8. Trademark Analysis
Previous owners retain trademark rights after they drop a domain. So, trademark infringement is a risk that comes with buying an aged domain.
Some platforms feature tools that allow users to check if a domain name is trademarked, but this isn’t a standard feature on all aged domain marketplaces.
Running a quick search in the USPTO’s trademark database will show you the list of similar trademarks and help you avoid dealing with legal issues down the line.
9. Searching for Aged Domains
Thousands of domains expire daily, but most won’t match your search criteria.
Hence, you’re unlikely to find the domain you can use to build a content website by aimlessly browsing different marketplaces.
Using a desktop or online software to research aged domains will enable you to monitor domains that fit your search criteria. Here are some of the best tools for finding dropped domains.
My Favorite Places to Shop for Aged Domains
Below I’ll outline my five best places to shop for aged domains.
1. Odys
The platform specializes in selling aged domains to businesses that want to grow content websites quickly.
Joining Odys isn’t difficult, as you have to answer a few questions before submitting a request, but you may have to wait a few days to be approved as a member.
Domains that contain spam, have live trademarks, or unsatisfactory backlinks cannot be listed on this marketplace.
Consequently, you won’t have to do much due diligence since most listings already went through a rigorous vetting process and come with all the data you need.
Odys offers aged domains from gaming, finance, cryptocurrency, and countless other categories.
Pros & Cons of Odys
[elementor-template id=”19483″]Forrest’s Take
Subscribing to one of Odys’ monthly plans carries a minimum risk and potentially high rewards, especially if you want to buy more than one aged domain.
2. Domain Coasters
Each listing at Domain Coasters comes with a data sheet that contains its age, expiry date, and an extensive list of referring domains.
Data sheets also include the number of live backlinks, domain ratings, authority scores, and other valuable metrics.
Domain Coasters has powerful search filters that let you look only for domains in a specific age range or backlinks from high authority sites.
The marketplace currently offers more than 35 million expired or aged domains and guarantees that none of its domains has manual penalties or contains spam links.
Pros & Cons of Domain Coasters
[elementor-template id=”19487″]Forrest’s Take
I like buying aged domains at Domain Coasters because I have all the information in front of me. Still, I double-check all data included in the listing before adding a domain to the shopping cart.
3. SerpDomains
The first thing I noticed when I accessed the SerpDomains marketplace is that all domains are Google Indexed.
Moreover, I really appreciated the fact that all listings feature the domain’s age because I didn’t have to search for this information in the Whois database.
The marketplace offers a broad range of domains registered in the late 1990s and early 2000s with high numbers of total backlinks.
Finding a domain with good page authority and a domain authority score takes a bit of work. Hence, it may take a while before you discover an aged domain that can become the foundation for your content website.
pros & cons of SerpDomains
[elementor-template id=”19495″]Forrest’s Take
Versatility is my SerpDomain’s favorite trait because the marketplace offers aged domains from all niches. I recommend doing your own research when considering old domains on this platform because listings don’t contain all metrics you need to determine their credibility.
4. NameCheap
Domain registrars like GoDaddy, Sedo, or NameCheap offer domains at auctions after they enter the redemption period. This makes them a potential goldmine for entrepreneurs patient enough to scout for good deals.
NameCheap’s marketplace has hundreds of ongoing auctions, and you can easily check when the auction ends.
Clicking on the auctioned domain will enable you to see its creation date and the number of backlinks.
However, you’ll have to do more research to determine its topical relevance, check content history, and search for any signs of penalties.
That’s why I don’t recommend buying aged domains on NameCheap unless you’re prepared to roll up your sleeves and dig up every bit of information that can help you buy a domain that will help your SEO strategy.
Pros & Cons of NameCheap
[elementor-template id=”19500″]Forrest’s Take
The NameCheap marketplace doesn’t do due diligence for its members. So, you’ll have to research each aged domain that seems even remotely interesting before placing a bid. However, all that hard work might pay off since you might snatch an aged domain at an excellent price.
5. SerpNames
You can choose from hundreds of vetted aged domains from different niches. Joining the SerpNames marketplace can be beneficial if you’re looking for an old healthcare, tech, or gaming website.
However, the platform’s selection of aged domains in most niches is limited to a few options.
The marketplace provides only basic data about its domains. Therefore, you won’t be able to learn much more other than the domain’s age and the number of referring domains from listing descriptions.
SerpNames doesn’t list domains that were penalized in the past or contain low-quality links.
Pros & Cons of SerpNames
[elementor-template id=”19508″]Forrest’s Take
SerpNames established itself as one of the most trusted old domain marketplaces in just seven years. The platform’s strict vetting process enables users to find aged domains they can use as foundations for their content websites.
Frequently Asked Questions about Aged Domains
It usually takes three to six months to start reaping the benefits of an aged domain’s backlinks.
Do I Have to Renew an Aged Domain?
Buying an aged domain includes extending its lease. The minimum lease time is one year, but you can pay the rent for two or more years.
Are Aged Domains Expensive?
Aged domains can cost more than $10,000, but on average, these domains cost between $500 and $4,000.
Final Thoughts
I don’t see building a content website on an aged domain as a shortcut.
Most digital entrepreneurs seem to think that an old site with a good link profile and clean history gives them an advantage over their competitors.
This is only true if you’re prepared to work hard on rebuilding a site and producing engaging content.
So, don’t expect overnight results or miraculous boosts in traffic on your main site if you decide to include aged domains in your SEO strategy. Odys and Domain Coasters are my favorite aged domain marketplaces because they go the extra mile to ensure their domains don’t have trademark issues or contain spam.