Dropped domains can be a great way to add to your domain investing portfolio. Every day, thousands of domain names expire and become available for purchase, making it easy to start a high-authority website, relaunch your brand with a domain name, or simply flip it for a profit.
But, what is a dropped domain, how do you find one, and how would you evaluate one? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about dropped domains.
What Is a Dropped Domain?
Domain names can expire for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the original owner simply doesn't renew the domain, making it available for purchase by anyone. Other times, a website may be shut down or rebranded, making the old domain name available.
Whatever the reason, dropped domains are simply domain names that are no longer in use.
How Can You Use a Dropped Domain Name?
Dropped domain names can be an excellent opportunity for domain investors and webmasters alike. You can get started with a high-authority website quickly and easily by purchasing an expired domain name. If you're interested in becoming a domain investor, dropped domains can also be a great way to make money. You can earn a profit by purchasing dropped domains and selling them later.
Of course, before you purchase any dropped domains, it's important to research to ensure the domain is a good fit for your needs.
Additional Ways You can use Dropped Domain Names
· Starting a new website: If you're starting a new website or blog, a dropped domain name can be a great way to get started with a high-authority domain. Then, you can simply purchase the dropped domain and start building your site.
· Rebranding an existing website: If you're looking to rebrand your current website, a dropped domain name can be a great way to do it. You can purchase the dropped domain and redirect it to your existing site. This will give you an instant boost in SEO and help you build brand awareness.
· Flipping domains: Domain flipping is the practice of buying and selling domains for profit. It's a popular way to make money online and can be quite profitable if done correctly. Drop domains can be a great place to start if you're interested in flipping domains.
How to Check the Quality of a Dropped Domain
When you're looking for dropped domains to buy, it's essential to consider the quality of the domain. Here are a few factors to look for:
- Domain Authority: Domain Authority (DA)is a metric used to determine the strength of a website's backlink profile. The higher the DA, the better. You can check the DA of any domain using Moz's OpenSite Explorer.
- PageRank: PageRank is another metric used to determine the strength of a website's backlink profile. However, it's no longer updated by Google and isn't as accurate as DA.
- Number of Backlinks: The number of backlinks is also a good quality indicator. Generally speaking, the more backlinks a site has, the better. Also, it's essential to check the quality of backlinks; there can be a vast number of spammy links.
- The Number of Referring Domains: The number of referring domains is also a good quality indicator. This metric shows many unique websites are linking to the environment. Generally speaking, the more quality referring domains, the better.
- Spam Score: The spam score is a metric that shows how likely a domain will be penalized by Google for spammy links. You can check the spam score of any domain using Moz's Link Explorer.
How Can You Tell if it's a Dropped Domain Name?
There are a few key indicators that can help you tell if a domain name has been dropped:
- The domain name is available for registration.
- The whois record for the domain name is empty or unavailable.
- The domain was registered recently (within the past year).
If you come across a domain name that meets all of the above criteria, there's a good chance it's a dropped domain.
How Do You Find Dropped Domain Names?
Now that you know how to identify dropped domains let's look at how to find them.
One of the easiest ways to find dropped domains is with a tool like Domain Hunter Gatherer. This tool allows you to search for dropped domains using a variety of different criteria, such as:
- The date the domain was dropped.
- The number of backlinks pointing to the domain.
- The estimated value of the domain.
- Domain Hunter Gatherer will return a list of dropped domains matching your criteria.
Another way to find dropped domains is to use a whois search tool like Whois XML API. This tool allows you to search for dropped domains by:
- The date the domain was dropped.
- The number of backlinks pointing to the domain.
- The estimated value of the domain.
- Once you've found a dropped domain you're interested in, the next step is to register it.
6 Important Factors to Consider When Buying Dropped Domain Names
Now that you know how to find dropped domain names and what to look for, let's look at a few factors you should consider when buying them.
Domain Name
When you're looking for dropped domains, it's essential to consider the length of the domain name. Shorter domain names are generally more desirable than longer ones. It's also important to avoid using hyphens in your domain name and to avoid special characters and numbers. These can be difficult to remember and type correctly.
It would be ideal to buy a dropped domain name that is brandable and easy to remember.
Spam Profile
When buying a dropped domain, it's essential to check its spam score. As we mentioned, the spam score is a metric that shows how likely a domain will be penalized by Google for spammy links.
Domain spam profiles are created when websites engage in unethical SEO practices, such as buying links or participating in link schemes. These activities can result in a domain being penalized by Google, which can significantly impact traffic and SEO. It's essential to check the spam score of any domain before you buy it to make sure it doesn't have spam.
You can check the spam score of any domain using Moz's Link Explorer. If the domain has a high spam score, it's best to avoid it.
Backlinks
Domain backlinks are links that originate from a domain name and point to another domain name. They are an essential factor in SEO because they help determine the authority of a domain name.
Using a backlink analyzer, you can check the number of backlinks a domain has. This tool allows you to see the total number of links and the number of referring domains. A domain with a high number of quality backlinks is likely to have more authority than a domain with fewer backlinks.
Domain Authority or Domain Rank
Domain authority is a metric that measures the importance of a domain name. It's based on the number of backlinks and the quality of those backlinks. A domain with a high domain authority is likely to rank higher in search results than a domain with lower domain authority.
Domain rank is a metric that measures how well a particular domain name ranks in search results. It's based on several factors, including the quality of backlinks and the age of the domain name. You can check any domain's authority or domain rank using a third-party domain analyzing tool.
Domain Name Age
Domain age is another factor you should consider when buying dropped domains. Generally, the older a domain name is, the more authority it has. This is because older domain names have more time accumulating backlinks and traffic.
However, domain age isn't always an indicator of quality. For example, some newer domains have excellent backlinks and high traffic because they were well-marketed from the start.
You can check a domain's age using a whois search tool. This tool will show you the domain's date and when it was last updated.
Google Penalty Status
Another factor you should consider when buying dropped domains is the Google penalty status. This analytic whether or not a domain has been penalized by Google for violating its Webmaster Guidelines.
If a domain has been penalized, it will likely have difficulty ranking in search results. You can check the penalty status of a domain by analyzing the traffic to that domain using a tool like Similar Web.
Securing Dropped Domain Names
Once you've found a dropped domain name that meets your criteria, you'll need to secure it before someone else does. The best way to do this is by using a backorder service.
A backorder service monitors the availability of dropped domain names and secures them when they become available. This is the quickest and most effective way to ensure dropped domain names.
To backorder domains, you can use a backorder service like Snap names or GoDaddy Auctions.
How to Find Dropped Domains
Now that you know what dropped domains are and how to find them, you're ready to start looking for dropped domains that meet your criteria. Here are a few places you can look for dropped domains:
- ExpiredDomains.net
- NameJet
- DropCatch
- GoDaddy Auctions
- Snapnames
Once you've found a dropped domain name that meets your criteria, you can secure it using a backorder service. This will ensure that you get the domain name before someone else does.
Conclusion
Remember, when buying dropped domains, be sure to check the spam score, backlinks, domain authority, and Google penalty status. These factors will help you determine the quality of the domain name.
By following these tips, you'll be able to find high-quality dropped domain names that can help improve your SEO efforts.
