Expired domain names are Web addresses that don’t get renewed when the domain registration term comes to an end. After a brief waiting period, expired domain names are made available to the public for purchase. The demand for expired Web addresses has created a big business in itself. When you purchase expired domain names, you can immediately gain page rank and “link popularity” – in other words, you will capitalize on what the previous site accomplished. In this way, expired domain names can help you begin closer to the top of search engine results pages rather than spending time (and money) making your way up from the bottom.

The potential advantages of previously owned Web addresses make it easy to consider expired domain names not just “as good as new” – but better. While it is true that some expired domain names can get you a jump start to online success, you’ll need to do some homework to avoid choosing a used Web address that can cause trouble for your online business.

Before you consider buying expired domain names for your online business, you should check the background of domain names based on several key indicators of success with search engines and compatibility with your business.

Approval of Google

Was the previous site on Google’s good side? If it violated any of Google’s strict policies — including those against reciprocal linking or serial spamming — it may be difficult (if not impossible) for you to get it indexed on the search engine’s results pages. Emails linked to your domain will also be blocked.

You should check domain names in the Google cache, a public, online tool that will allow you to see what version of a page is currently in its index. Simply enter “cache:domainname.com” in Google’s search box and you’ll see a snapshot of the site taken by Google the last time it crawled the Web. This cached version of the site was used to generate the index results – if you can’t find it, there could be a problem.

Nature of Content

What was the exact nature of the previous site’s content? How could it help or hurt you? While it’s very important to increase traffic to your site, your focus should always be on attracting traffic which is relevant to your business. You can investigate domain names in the Internet Archive, which keeps copies of previous site versions dating back to 1996. You can view these copies by typing the domain name into the archive’s Wayback Machine.

Quality of Backlinks

When it comes to link popularity, quality is key. The search engines have a tendency to stick to the notion that you’re only as relevant as those sites with which you associate. Take a close look at backlinks of expired domain names and you should avoid those Web addresses associated with spamming and reciprocal linking schemes. You can use an online tool like Google’ backlink checker. It will provide backlink results when you type “Link:domainname.com” in its search box.

Transfer of Ownership

With the WHOIS database, you have the ultimate resource for domain name information. Unless the last owner used private registration, the WHOIS database will tell you all you need to know about the ownership of expired domain names. One important bit of information to retrieve from the WHOIS database when you check domain names is how often the site has changed owners in recent years? Expired domain names which have had frequent transfers of ownership should be eyed with concern.

If you choose to register an expired domain name that has been banned by the search engines, you can appeal to have your new site indexed – a process which can take time and money. It’s good advice to do your research and avoid used Web addresses that have the potential to damage your online business and your brand. The bottom line: If you’re considering expired domain names, you must check domain names for a history of problems before you risk your online business’ future.