Buying expired domains can help boost your online presence, and as a startup you may find it fascinating to invest a handful amount in expired domains. Expired domains do not just help in gaining competitive edge in organic search but can also send a good direct traffic.

However, buying expired domains may not work for just everyone, and the process needs stringent scrutiny in order to make everything work in favour. Before you buy a domain, you want to follow these tips to ensure your overall success with that plan.

1- Check the DA or PA of the domain

There are literally thousands of domains that expire every day. You can find them on websites like PR Drop, Moonsy, and Expired domain. Alternatively, using a quality product like Domain Hunter Gatherer can be a great way to find expired domains and often heralds the greatest success.

Make sure to check the page authority or PA and the domain authority or DA before you buy anything. These tell you the quality of the domain whether it is expired or still live. You can find these on Open Moz, too. Once you check them both, make sure the DA is 25 or more so that you know you are getting a good buy.

2- Always check the domain with the Google banned checker

A domain could have a high PA and DA, but it is no good if Google has already banned it. Make sure to check it with the banned checker on Google first. If you still have a good feeling about the domain’s potential and you want to buy a banned site, use the Google reconsideration request form and ask if it can be un-banned.

3- Check Google AdSense’s ban

There are hundreds of expired domains that Google Adsense bans. Most likely you will want to place AdSense on supportive website (to maintain the costs), so it will be of no use to you if it has been banned.

The Sandbox checker will help you determine if it has been banned or not. Put the URL in the checker and click “preview ads.” If all ads are displayed, the domain is safe to use.

4- Check the website’s archive

The website’s archive offers even more important information for you before you buy that expired domain. The archive will show you what type of website it was when it was live. Enter the URL into the archive and click “take me back” to see a screenshot of a timeline graph.

Simply click on any year that displays on the graph and you will see how the domain looked then. There will be a host of circled numbers on a given month. Click on those to see an exact view of the website for that month and year. This will give you a much better idea of how well the site performed.

5- Check the domain’s page rank carefully

Be aware that some expired domains have manipulated page ranks. This is not a good thing. You want to check the site against a Fake PR checker tool. This can save you hundreds of dollars on bogus domain purchases. Be sure you are not buying a fake domain before you make your purchase.

These are just a few things that you want to remember before you go and buy your expired domains. As long as you keep them in mind, you will buy quality expired domains that will bring you lots of online success.