There are several reasons why you might want to buy an expired domain. For starters, it’s cheaper than building a site for your business from scratch.
Redirecting the old site to the new site is also straightforward as it only involves following simple pointers on Google.
Domain registration isn’t hard, but it does require some work. The first step in the process is for registrants to settle on a domain name and make sure that there are no trademarks or copyright infringements associated with the desired name.
The next step is to secure an expired domain name with a Registry.
When purchasing a second-hand domain, especially at an auction-style reseller like Flippa, NameJet, or Sedo, you need to ensure that search engines like Google, Google Mobile, or Yahoo! haven’t registered them as spam.
Let’s explore how to register an expired domain name to create niche websites or for SEO purposes.
What Is an Expired Domain Name?
When you type in a domain name, it translates into an IP address and shows the website content hosted at that location. A registrant can lease domain names for one to ten years from a registrar.
These domain names can expire, which means that any websites associated with them will cease to be accessible unless the registrant chooses to renew the domain before it expires.
It’s important to monitor when your site expires so there won’t be any confusion about whether the pages still load, preventing visitors from navigating away from them during this period.
If your domain expires, you’re lost in cyberspace. It’s like forgetting a house address–it just doesn’t exist anymore.
When an IP address disconnects from its corresponding name, we can say it has expired. As far as Internet hosts are concerned, no Domain Name System (DNS) server is available for translation services.
The registry will disable your DNS, and your page will cease to exist.
How to Find Expired Domain Names
The first step in obtaining an expired domain name is checking if it is available. A registrant typically obtains a domain with the intention of owning it for immediate or future use.
In some instances, however, these domain names can expire when the registrant does not renew or forgets to renew the domain registration, and the registry disables the DNS.
Domain expiration typically happens:
- When a registrant fails to pay a renewal fee as per the registrar conditions
- When a trademark owner requests cancellation upon domain expiration (cybersquatting)
Soon after registrants relinquish ownership rights, these unused domain names may be available for registration again on auction websites and domain name marketplaces. The highest bidder typically wins on these platforms.
However, finding the perfect domain is not easy. It takes time to sift through hundreds of thousands of dropped domains to find a good website with an excellent backlink profile and SEO track record that aligns with your business niche.
How to Secure an Expired Domain
As a domain registrant, you only lease a domain registration from a registrar for a specific period, typically 1 to 10 years. There is always an option to renew your registration after this period. You can even set the domain up to auto-renew.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the governing body that sets guidelines on how long assigned names can remain registered with each registrar. ICANN also sets guidelines for domain registration and account expirations.
If the domain is not renewed within a 30-day grace period given by the registrar, the domain will expire, and the registrar will determine whether or not to disable the DNS resolution.
Occasionally, there is an additional 31 to 60-day grace period where you may still renew your domain name before it finally expires, but there will be an additional fee for the renewal.
Wait for the Domain to Become Available Due to Expired Domain Protection
It is not possible to purchase a name on the exact day the domain expires because of domain expiration protection. Registrars will offer a 2- to 40-day grace period to give the previous owner one more chance to renew.
During the grace period, only the previous registrant can take back ownership of the expiring domain.
When the grace period finally ends and registrars “drop” domains (when domains expire), they are only available for a limited time. Many things can go wrong in the span of those few hours:
- Someone else can grab the domain.
- There may be an error with the registration process.
Registrars are known for dropping a top-level domain without warning since they’re under no legal obligation to issue expiration notices and let their customers know about any upcoming expiry date. You will need to keep a determined eye out for any renewals of your desired top-level domain and check the registrar often to be in the loop.
Use Drop-catchers to Obtain Accurate Expired Domain Info
You can search registry sites for expiring names. However, this process is time-consuming. This is where platforms like SpamZilla come in. They do all the hard work for you by vetting dropped and expired domainswith authoritative links and SEO rankings.
They have keyword boxes that allow you to submit a search for domain names using keywords. You can also submit a search using the exact domain name you desire.
A list of all relevant expiring domain names with proven SEO track records and authoritative links will appear in your search.
Back Order an Expired Domain Name from a Registry
Domain names are a scarce resource. That’s why you should be careful when purchasing one. Certain registry sites like NameCheap allow users to request or back-order domain names before they expire, which is how you’ll buy the best namecheap expired domains.
To avoid this poor situation, you may need to check with these registry sites regularly, just in case your desired domain name is available for purchase.
Sign Up a Reputable Shark or Drop-catcher to Register Domain Names When They Become Available
If you don’t have time to track an auction and make bids on a domain name, you can pay major drop-catching services that will try their best to get the domain name for you.
These services charge an average of tens to hundreds of dollars but can be a more reliable way to secure a domain name. Participating in a domain auction is always risky, as the highest bidder wins–and that may not be you.
Why Should You Register an Expired Domain? What Are the Advantages?
Expired domains, despite the misleading name, are valuable online assets. However, there are several risks associated with this type of domain, including spammy and suspicious links and low SERPs.
Services like SpamZilla offer expired domains after they have more or less deleted these risks.
High-quality expired domains deliver a range of benefits, as well. For example:
- They come with an established online reputation. You get all the benefits of solid incoming web traffic, top SEO rankings, and powerful backlinks without any of the work.
- They come with established traffic. Redirect this traffic back to your website and target customers already interested in your brand.
- They save you the trouble of building an audience from scratch when you don’t know if it will grow any interest in the future.
- They most likely have built-in ad revenues. Even if you do nothing with the site and just “park” and auto-renew your ownership, you may still earn some income from the site.
Why Use SpamZilla for Finding and Registering Expired Domains?
SpamZilla allows you to find expired domains worth purchasing the easy way. Their team has developed the tools to process millions of domain names through 16 different sources.
The SpamZilla program can find more domains active DNS and powerful backlinks than you or your staff or you could on your own.
The site also filters domains with spammy and suspicious links, providing you with the most relevant, high-quality domains available for renewal for your business niche.
Choose from a:
- Free Account: order up to 25 domain name searches each month filtered by SEO metrics of their choice.
- Monthly Paid Package: Enable unlimited searches and full access to the SpamZilla database of expired domains. In addition, access advanced functions such as backlink data and automatic spam checking.
Choose SpamZilla As Your Expired Domain Name Service Today!
Are you wondering about how to get an expired domain with a proven track record of SEO success? SpamZilla will do the hard work of filtering and blocking any domains that might contain spam or suspicious links.
It’s super easy – just enter your niche and find the perfect domain for renewal. Create an account today to find an expired domain, or contact SpamZilla today for helpful tips.