Can you optimize your traffic with the use of expired domains? Read on for the facts on expired domain traffic.

Lately I have seen more and more articles being released relating to grabbing your share of expired domain traffic. In short, they suggest you register expired domains to receive their pre-existing traffic that has been developed by the previous owner of a domain name.


The Older a Domain the Better the Search Engine Listing:


There are many variables that come into play when a search engine decides on your ranking under particular search phrases. One that does hold weight in many search engines, including Google, is the age of a domain. The older the domain, the better it can assist you in obtaining a top listing.


Domain "Created" Date:

Each domain name has its own creation date, which is the date in which it was originally registered. When a domain expires, the creation date, since it no longer exists, is void. Even if the domain was originally registered by the prior owner for ten years, once it expires, so does the original creation date. When you register an expired domain name, the creation date starts all over beginning the date you register the said domain.


Search Engine Elimination:


Google and other search engines crawl the Internet looking for expired domains, hence enabling them to eliminate them from their databases. The reason for such is that a number of years ago there was a huge practice of registering expired domain names and pointing to another for the sole purpose of driving traffic to one's main domain name while filling the search engines with irrelevant domains.

How to Benefit from Expired Domain Traffic:

I have been involved in the domain industry since 1999, assisting others with their individual domain needs as well as web hosting through Order Your Domain. I personally search and register expired domain names as well as others prior to expiring, however, with a separate purpose in mind.


Many people say all the good domain names are gone. This is a twofold "yes" and "no" answer. Yes, most of the good domains have been or are currently registered; however, for one reason or another, many become available again when they expire. This is how you can find a good domain name, day after day. Keep in mind: this will not change the new domain creation date, as it will still reflect the date of when it is registered again.

Find Keyword Rich Domains:

The idea behind registering expired domains is the fact it is easier to locate good domains that are keyword rich. Keywords are very important to search engines. Take for instance a search at Google under the term Free Fishing Lure. FreeFishingLure.com, a parked domain name, comes up 2 out of over 5,000,000 listings under the same search phrase!


You can locate a number of places to search online for expired domains; however, most are out of date since they list deleted domains once daily or less frequently. In reality, domains are deleted numerous times per day from the registry database.


Locate domains soon to expire before they even become available. One such service I use myself is Investors Edge, which lists over 95,000 soon to expire domain names every day, hence giving me an edge by trying to register as soon as they are released. My personal success rate is approximately 82 percent retention of the domains I try to grab. This service is basically for the serious domain hunter!


Another place allowing you to find domains for sale, fresh expired domains and offers weekly information on domain names is Weekly Domain List, a weekly free newsletter. It includes tips on what to look for in a domain name, where to find good keyword domains, weekly domains for sale and more.


Good luck in Your Online Adventures,