Domain Auctions: How to Look for an Expired Domain

Expired domains are powerful tools that can boost the SEO efforts of a new website. You can use an expired domain to build a new authority site, build a powerful private blog network, or resell them for profits. However, finding the right domains involves a lot of legwork and research. One challenge for beginners is differentiating between those with good backlinks from the bad ones. This blog explains how you can find expired domains to enhance your search engine rankings.

What is an expired domain?

Expired domains refer to domain names that were registered but were not renewed past their expiration date. This implies they are available for re-registration and open for anyone to use however they see fit. Domain names expire for several reasons, including when the owner forgets to renew them or when a business closes.

What is the benefit of buying an expired domain?

You have three options when building a website. You can either use a brand new website, buy existing domains, or find expired ones. Although the two first options are viable, purchasing expired domains provides more benefits. The following are a few reasons to buy expired domains:

• Capitalize on existing organic traffic: With an expired domain, you don’t have to grow your traffic scratch. Instead, you capitalize on the audience that expired domains already have.
• Add authority to your site: Building up high domain authority consumes a lot of time and money. You can avoid this hassle by leveraging an expired domain that has already accrued some authority. If you want to add authority to an existing website, simply use the expired domain to create a separate web page that works independently within the same website.
• Sell and make a profit: You can also sell your expired domain for a profit in a process known as domain flipping. Domain flipping involves buying an expired domain, adding more SEO value, and reselling it for profit.

Build a private blog network: It is also possible to use expired domains in building a blog that links back to a monetized website. If you repeat this process with diverse domains, you will end up with a private network of sites in a single specific niche. You can then leverage those sites to rank your site.

How to find expired domain names

When looking for expired domains, it is crucial to do a thorough review to ensure you don’t end up with domains without much traffic. The following are a few methods to find a tremendous expired domain:

Check the domain you like

If you already have preferable names for your website, initiate WHOIS Lookup and determine their registration and expiration date. You should also check details on the current owner and their contacts. Some of the advanced platforms and software to help you initiate WHOIS Lookup on any domain you like include dedicated platforms such as WHOIS.Net.

Leverage domain registrars

There are several domain registrars designed to create new domains and extend their validity. Such registrars have all domain name records and are mandated to sell domain name extensions. The platforms also list the expiring and expired domains for auctions. You can search the list and choose the domain within your niche to bid on. Some of the popular domain registrars to use include Domcop and Freshdrop. These platforms contain both expired and expiring domains with their ranks.

Go to auctions

Auctions are platforms licensed to sell expired domain names. In auctions, the price of domains is subject to market forces, including supply and demand variables. As a rule, sellers initiate the auction by offering an estimated price and bidding timeframe. The cost depends on the domain age, traffic, ranks, and niche. The buyers make counter offers with the most attractive proposal winning. Some of the platforms to check out include Flippa, Sedo, and NameJet, among many others.

Leverage domain name marketplaces

You can also use online tools designed to facilitate the search for expiring or expired domains. An excellent example of such a platform is theexpireddomains.net which enables you to search expired domains and their list prices.

Where to find domains on NameSilo

You will find many domains within our Marketplace below. These are domains that have been listed for sale by our customers, or are domains that have not been renewed. We offer two different types of sales including either auctions or an offer/counter offer sale. Depending upon the type of sale, purchase amount and the configuration options selected by the seller, you can either purchase the domain immediately, place a bid in an auction, or enter into negotiations with the seller. You can backorder domains here. A backordering or drop catching service is the process of trying to register a domain anew as soon as that domain is made available (at the very end of its life cycle) and therefore the domain will not retain its creation date; instead, it will be re-registered.

If you’re interested in finding a powerful domain name there are a number of options at your disposal. One of course is to check out all of the possibilities on the NameSilo Marketplace (pictured above in the “ALL” setting.

You can also search on the popular website domain search tab. The nice thing about this tool is that it allows you to quickly find TLD extensions and pick up multiple options for your chosen name.

However, if you’ve accessed possibilities and you’re not finding exactly what you want, it might surprise you that there is a popular “secret” setting that can unearth a goldmine of domain names. 

That would be the “expired” setting on NameSilo Marketplace. These are names that for one reason or another are back on the market. To explore these names, simply reset the type of search, enter your keyword in the keyword field and hit search.

Get started on NameSilo Marketplace

Getting a solid expired domain enables you to capitalize on the website’s previous ranking and SEO power to jumpstart your new website. If you need a reliable platform to buy an expired domain for your website, NameSilo has you covered. At NameSilo, we offer two types of sales: auctions or an offer/counter-offer sale. You can purchase the domain immediately, bid in an auction, or negotiate with the seller. Contact us today to learn more.