How to use aged domains for SEO [COMPLETE GUIDE]

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How to use aged domains for SEO
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  • Post last modified:March 28, 2019

Today I’m going to show you how to use aged domains to improve your presence in search engines aka Google 😉 I think you heard about aged domains in the past but if you didn’t check below what these are:

1. What are aged domains?

Aged domains are domain names that have been registered several years ago. From an SEO perspective an aged domain it’s a domain that was indexed by Google in the past.

To easily find out when a domain name was registered you can use a whois service. Here are several ones I use:

Whois.sc, Whois.com, Whois.Godaddy.com, Who.is

2. Why are aged domains important?

As you’re interested in search engine optimization I’m sure you can spot some benefits of aged domains. But I will list them here:

2.1 Relevant backlink profile

The backlink profile is a decisive factor for ranking well in Google. If you start with a new domain you will have to start building backlinks from day one but if you go with an aged domain you start with a strong backlink profile built in years by the previous owner(s).

2.2 Backlinks and Brand Mentions from publications

An aged domain, especially if it was for business should get in years brand mentions from authority websites in your niche. If these domains were used by businesses is a high chance the domain name and brand is mentioned in digital magazines like Monetize.info, Forbes, Business.com, etc.

2.3 High Domain Reputation

There are domains that have already got a high reputation in their niche on the market. It is a good bonus as it takes much time and effort to create a good reputation at the beginning. If you have got a chance to buy an old domain that already has a high reputation while also being highly ranked on SE, then you are a really lucky person.

2.4 Domain Age is a Ranking Factor

Domain Age is still a Ranking Factor & Google cares about your indexed age. Nowadays is not so important like CTR, Mobile first but still plays a role especially if you’re into a highly competitive niche where every competitive advantage matters.

3. How to use aged domains?

Here are 4 ways you can leverage aged domains to grow your organic search traffic:

3.1. Private Blog Networks (PBNs)

Private Blog Networks (PBNs) is the most popular method for leveraging aged domains. The problem is that using PBNs is also the riskiest method on this list. That’s because Google actively targets PBNs to deindex them.

But if you are willing to take the risk you should use relevant aged domains from your niche, with a strong backlink profile. After you get the domains then recreate the content from an Archive.org extractor and of course..place links to your money sites.

It’s important to do an extensive check on the backlink profile for each domain to make sure the rankings (Domain Authority) for instance are not inflated from low-quality backlinks.

3.2. Outreach Opportunities

The nice part of this method is that you don’t actually have to own the expired domain name. All you have to do check the backlink profile and inform the websites that the link is broken, suggesting them a relevant resource from your website. Some of them will happily switch the broken link to a valid link to your website.

Make sure the resources you suggest are better than the ones on the expired domains. Using archive.org you should check the old page and create something better.

Also, don’t expect everyone will respond to you and replace the link. As long as you have a 2/10 response rate you are still ok.

3.3. Build Niche Websites

That’s my favorite method. When you spot a well-aged domain you should recreate the website and continue adding content. Also, create social media presence, publish guest posts and start getting backlinks through guest posting.

The difference between a PBN is that while a PBN site is a parasite that only sends ranking power to the main site, a niche site is an independent website that grows on its own.

4. Redirect them to your brand

That’s obviously the simplest method to improve your ranking. You purchase a domain name and create a 301 redirect to your main website. This way the backlink profile will transfer to the new site.

Of course, if you want to benefit from that the domain should be in the same niche as your main site and preferably have better metrics than yours.

How to Find Aged Domains

Now that I’ve shown you several ways to benefit from aged domains I’m sure you’d like to know how to find aged domains with great metrics.

I suggest using a tool like DHG – Expired domain finder to easily find aged domains both on auctions or expired.

Here are some notable features of DHG:

  • Hunt for Niche Related expired domains from a keyword(s)
  • Hunt for expired domains with links from authority/niche related websites
  • Reverse Crawl Expired Domains, no third party accounts required for this
  • Find brandable / keyword domains within seconds with Easy Expired Domains
  • Get Moz, Majestic and Social stats with no need for 3rd party accounts
  • Recover websites from the Wayback Machine archives with DomRecovery
  • Create huge lists of domains in just a couple of minutes ready for checking

Using DHG you can find and analyze hundred of domains in minutes. The tool comes with a 30 days money back guarantee so if you’re not intending to use aged domains for SEO you can simply ask for a refund and get your money back.

Conclusion

So, that is all I have for you today. I showed you how you can leverage aged domains for SEO, I then showed you some ways to find aged domains, and then I showed you how to vet each prospective domain you find.

Daniel

Daniel is the founder of COMPETICO digital agency. Since 2014 he helps digital businesses COMPETE SMARTER and WIN BIGGER through SEO, and Competitive Intelligence.

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