When starting a new website, it’s common practice for companies to purchase expired domains. With this option, the new site can benefit from the PageRank of the previous site. This bypasses all the start-up struggles a new site could face trying to get to the top of the search results. However, reviving an expired domain can prove to be harmful to your new site if not done properly. If you want to revive domains for your new sites, be sure to follow these tips.
Maintain Content Cohesion
The name of the URL, unfortunately, doesn’t always indicate the content of a website. When you’re browsing for an expired domain to revive, always check the old content of the website to make sure it matches with your own. Most search engines will do a basic sweep of your site to make sure that your keywords match the content. If you purchase a domain for an old home restoration company but you run a dental office, search engines will actually penalize your site, and your PageRank can drop drastically. If you’re buying an old domain to help boost your rank, this will only undo that process.
Boost Current Sites with Redirects
Buying expired domains isn’t just for new sites. Current sites can also benefit from an expired domain’s PageRank by utilizing a 301 redirect. These permanent redirects will essentially link the two domains, and when someone enters the domain of the expired site, they will be redirected to your current site. This way, search engines will use the PageRank of the old domain to boost the rank of your current domain.
Double-Check Backlinks
Many sites utilize backlinks to help boost their PageRank and help clients and customers discover them. However, not all backlinks are created equal. If you’re purchasing an expired domain, you’ll want to make sure the backlinks are in order. This means you need to check that they are being linked from authoritative and respectable websites, not just any random site out there.
It’s also important that you make sure those backlinks aren’t broken, as that can harm your future growth. If you do discover a site with a broken backlink, reach out to the owner. Not only can you get your backlink fixed, but you may also make a connection that will help you grow further down the line.
Buying up expired domains and using them to create new sites or boost old ones is common these days. However, it only works in your favor if done properly. In order to revive domains successfully, you need to make sure the content of the expired site matches the content of the live site. Using a permanent redirect can help you gain the benefits of an expired domain without too much effort. Lastly, always make sure backlinks for the old site are functional and from reputable websites. If you follow these steps, your revived domain will be boosting your live domain in no time.
