7 Most Common Mistakes When Buying Expired Domains (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake 1: Buying a Domain Based Only on Backlink Count

Verdict: False

A domain with 500 backlinks looks like gold. But 480 of those links might be from comment spam on a single blog network. I once bought a domain with 340 backlinks for $12-after audit, only 3 were from real sites. Use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to check referring domains, not just links. If the ratio of backlinks to referring domains is above 15:1, walk away. Dead.domains has buried 0 projects so far, but every one of them would have taught you this lesson the hard way.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Domain History

Verdict: Mostly false (if you check, it's fixable)

You run a quick Whois lookup and think you're safe. But the domain might have hosted a gambling site, been penalized by Google, or redirected to malware. Use Archive.org to see what the domain showed for the last 10 years. If it was a casino or pharmacy site, Google has likely deindexed it. 0 projects on dead.domains had this issue because 0 projects exist, but real markets like NameJet report 15% of expired domains have penalties. Skip the $9 waste.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Anchor Text Diversity

Verdict: Partially true

You see a domain with 200 backlinks, all saying "buy cheap viagra." That's a penalty magnet. Google's Penguin update (2012) made exact-match anchor text a red flag. Check your anchor text profile: you want less than 20% branded and less than 10% exact match commercial. A domain with 50% "best pizza NYC" is better than one with 80% "pizza." I killed a project in 2018 because every link was "SEO services." Don't be me.

Mistake 3 (Honest): Not Checking the Domain Was Used for a Previous Project

Verdict: True

Sometimes a domain was a dead project from another founder-just like the 0 projects buried on dead.domains. But that previous project might have been a thin affiliate site or a scraper blog. Check the browse the graveyard at dead.domains to see what types of projects die. If the domain's content looks like it was written by a bot in 2015, Google probably remembers. You'd be buying a reputation you don't want.

Mistake 4: Forgetting to Check the Domain's Age at Registration Level

Verdict: Mostly false

A domain registered in 2002 sounds old and authoritative. But if it expired and was re-registered in 2023, its trust drops. Google cares about continuous registration, not creation date. A domain with 10 years of unbroken registration (check via Whois history on DomainTools, costing $49/month) is worth 3x more than one with a gap. 0 domains on dead.domains have registration gaps because 0 domains exist, but ExpiredDomains.net shows 40% of listed domains have recent gaps.

Mistake 5: Not Verifying Backlink Quality With a Manual Sample

Verdict: False

Tools give you numbers. Humans give you context. Pick 10 backlinks from different domains and visit them. Are they active sites? Do they look real? Is the link in a relevant article or a sidebar widget? I spent $9 on a domain where 8 of 10 backlinks were from a single forum that auto-generated signature links. Manual check takes 15 minutes. Automate the pain, not the audit.

Mistake 6: Not Checking the Domain in Google's Index

Verdict: True

Before buying, search site:yourdomain.com in Google. If zero results appear, the domain is either deindexed (penalty) or brand new. Use Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool (free) to check if any manual action exists. A domain with 1,000 backlinks but zero indexed pages is useless. That $9 is better spent on a new domain from GoDaddy for $0.99. 0 projects on dead.domains would have passed this test.

Mistake 7: Not Setting Up 301 Redirects Correctly

Verdict: Mostly false

You buy the domain, point it to your new site, and expect traffic. But if you skip mapping old URLs to new ones, you lose link equity. Use a 301 redirect from the old domain's top pages to your most relevant pages. If the old domain had 5 pages and your site has 20, redirect each one to the closest match. For $9, you can afford a plugin like Redirection (free) or hire someone on Upwork for $50. I've made this mistake twice-both domains died within 60 days.

For a growing marketplace of dead projects and domains, browse the browse the graveyard at dead.domains.