How to Get Traffic from Expired Domains

This method may bring you good amounts of traffic on the cheap. It can still be effective today, but there’re more “gotchas” to take into consideration, so before you buy that expired domain name let me explain why.

Webmasters sometimes allow their domains to expire for a variety of different reasons – but what is important for you is just how much work that webmaster already did to get his site ranked in the search engines, build up incoming links, etc.

Somebody just starts a site and begins getting traffic based on the keywords they’ve ranked on, the incoming link relationships they’ve built, any articles they’ve written with their domain in the byline, etc.

But if the domain is allowed to expire – and no one else take it – there’s going to be a window of time where the site is still getting traffic from those old links and listings.

The traffic that arrives via outdated links will click away unless someone takes over that domain and puts something there worthy of looking at.

a) You need to be fast on the draw in order to snatch up really good expired domains, and…

b) You need to put some quality content on the site, rather than just redirecting some irrelevant links.

You want to capitalize on the existing targeted traffic rather than send them clicking away again.

If you do intend to use this method for redirecting pages (to an affiliate program, for example), just make sure what you’re redirecting to is relevant and targeted.

If you grab a domain with good ranking in one of the search engines, particularly Google, you might want to see if there is a cached version of the page available.

You’ll be able to take that page and analyze it to determine some of the ranking factors and possibly expand or build on them in order to maintain or even boost your search engine ranking.

BUT, you need to work as Fast as possible, and understand that the domain might lose some of its value as the search engines and other webmasters discover a brand new site has taken its place.

The ideal tactic here, is to use the domain to feed traffic into your opt-in list, and then redirect those new subscribers to your primary site once you’ve got their address.

No matter what you decide to put on one of these domains, but it’s crucial that you have lead capture in place; otherwise, you won’t be making the most of your new traffic and may loose some of it.

There are software programs to do this work for you, as well as live auction sites where webmasters put their expiring domains up for sale.

When you backorder a domain, you’re putting yourself into the waiting list for a domain that has a pending expiration date. There’s a window of time where, unless the webmaster renews fast or has his domain ‘locked’, then the domain will be released and it will be available for you to get it.

This can be hit or miss, but when it works, you can come away with some real Free Traffic from other people efforts.

This technique may not be Free to try and sometimes a Domains could be very expensive, but you may find some Domains related to your niche with the right keywords already built-it in.

This also make you to think about your own domains, you better be aware of renewing every year or somebody using this techniques may be getting your own site before you.

Did you have used this way of Traffic before? If so what are your experiences, we will be glad to here from you in the comments.

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16 Comments »

Comment by Sherry

2009-01-07 20:50:31

I have a question, if the domain expired does the contain post of blog also goes missing? I do not know as I am first time using domain blogs.

Sherrys last blog post..there are total of 71,000 entrecard credits

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Comment by ian

2009-01-07 22:29:57

Luis which is better to use expired domain for domain parking or use it for getting traffic? I have an expired domain that I park, it has 2 million alexa ranking, and I earn about 15 euro in one month.

ians last blog post..Getting traffic from commenting

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Comment by Sherry

2009-01-07 23:00:44

@ian how you do that? where you park the domain?

Sherrys last blog post..Happy Chinese New Year to my friends

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Comment by Luis Torres

2009-01-07 23:24:52

@Sherry- your data remains intact in your hosting, but you will not be able to see it online.

@Ian- Since you are already making money from it, try to increase the traffic to that parked site buying some hits that are very cheap, maybe there are not very targeted but it may increase your income, unless you know that your other site convert better than that one, then use it for traffic. You got to know the stats of the parked site to test if with more traffic you make more money. Hey if you can do that with a lot of parked domains then what stop you to have 100 and make an easy 1500 euros, not bad at all.

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Comment by Sherry

2009-01-08 00:39:03

@luis and ian I have so much to learn.

Sherrys last blog post..Happy Chinese New Year to my friends

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Comment by ian

2009-01-08 07:58:54

Domain parking can be a fortune. But you need hundeds of domain. Just like adsense

ians last blog post..Getting traffic from commenting

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Comment by Sherry