Finding out the authority of an expired domain

[YoFluffy]

I've spotted a couple of domains up for sale that look interesting (very relevant to our niche) but although the site listing them states they're high PR, I can't check them out on Opensiteexplorer or Majestic as they've expired - the url just takes me back to the GoDaddy site and Opensiteexplorer can't analyse.

Is there another way of analysing an expired domain that is no longer showing?

I've used PRPowershot.com to search domains, it seems a good programme on the face of it but I don't just want to trust its listings.

Thanks!

[NathanielB]

What does OSE say when you enter the url? It should work, I have used it to check expired domains in the past with no problems.

Have you checked what the domains where used for and why they have been left to expire? Have a look with web.archive.com to check what it was used for. Apart from that, I have always been able to use OSE to do checks but not sure if others have other options you could try.

[Belfast]

I've spotted a couple of domains up for sale that look interesting (very relevant to our niche) but although the site listing them states they're high PR, I can't check them out on Opensiteexplorer or Majestic as they've expired - the url just takes me back to the GoDaddy site and Opensiteexplorer can't analyse.

Is there another way of analysing an expired domain that is no longer showing?

I've used PRPowershot.com to search domains, it seems a good programme on the face of it but I don't just want to trust its listings.

Thanks!

My first reaction is avoid, avoid, avoid.

"the site listing them states they're high PR" - this is something that would make me SOOOO cautious. Don't get me wrong, utilising expired domains can be brilliant, but it can also be a disaster - either wasting big money on a lost cause domain or worse if you mess up what you do with it.

By all means go for it if you want the actual name or if it's really cheap and you'd be happy if it was a duffer, or you are doing it as a side project/experiment with what works and doesn't.

Here's partly why:

Any tool is going to be out of date. Even if there was a PR update yesterday, that could have changed by today.

When domains expire they often lose links, often the best links first. They need to be checked.

People scam people - especially people who tout "high PR domain for sale". People can use their own network of sites/links to boost the PR of a domain, wait for a PR update, sell the domain and point the links at the next domain they want to boost and sell. Therefore the links should be checked for their authenticity too - even when they are still there.

All tools use a different algorithm to Google as they aren't Google. Therefore, even though tools are very useful you have really got to manually check things with Google and on the sites that link to it. For example, check to see what anchor text is being used and see how it ranks. A tool will not show if the site has tripped some kind of filter only manual checking will give you a good idea.

There is surely more, but that's what comes to mind. The more expensive, the more homework you've got to do.




But to address your question - chances are that it is just a GoDaddy holding page and that it is still the actual domain. The domain will probably work as normal on checkers.

[YoFluffy]

By all means go for it if you want the actual name or if it's really cheap and you'd be happy if it was a duffer, or you are doing it as a side project/experiment with what works and doesn't..

It's more of an experiment to be honest and I spotted a couple of domains, seemingly well priced and available. They don't show in either OSE or Majestic though, or the wayback archive so I suspect they were never actually sites.

I wouldn't intend to spend a fortune on something like this, it's little more than an opportunistic side project based on finding something that looked it could be relevant. But then maybe not...

[NathanielB]

Well its up to you, but as Belfast said, it really can be a gamble when buying expired domains, so only you can make the call whether its worth the money to you!

But if you want to PM me the domains or just one of them to see if I can find any more info on them tonight I would be happy to try and dig a little more with you be I find it interesting trying to dig up old information/details about expired domains

[YoFluffy]

Thanks! I've a feeling the software is listing sites that have expired alongside new domain names, hence the lack of info - I've since found a couple with background info. I'm not intending paying a lot (particularly as I know my own limitations on this) but if I 'fall' across something interesting it may be worth a little project...

Nathaniel I'll definitely pm you if I find anything worth checking further, thanks.