Is an Expired Domain Redirect Worth It? The Surprising Answer

Setting up an expired domain redirect has a lot of benefits when it comes to boosting a website’s search engine optimization (SEO). However, if done incorrectly, it can also spell disaster for a website and its page ranking. 

So, is it worth buying these domains to redirect them to a new site these days? How does one go about redirecting an expired domain the correct way? Let’s answer those questions and more in this article. 

What Are Expired Domains?

An expired domain is a domain that was previously registered but has not been renewed by the owner. If left unrenewed past its grace period, the domain becomes available for others to purchase and register a new. 

Because they have been used before, they typically come with valuable backlinks and already get organic traffic.

Why Should You Consider Expired Domain Redirects?

Site owners often use expired domains to build authority sites. Since they already have authority and a backlink profile, creating an authority site using them is more accessible than a new domain. It will take a lot of time for the relevancy of a new domain name to rank on Google. 

One way an authority site can benefit from an expired domain is through a 301 redirect. Setting up a 301 redirect is a popular method of linking to a new website to pass link juice. 

Note that this tactic will only work if both websites have content in the same niche. That said, don’t pick a random domain for the sake of a redirect. 

301 Expired Domain Redirects: SEO Benefits

An expired domain redirect offers many benefits when it comes to a site’s SEO. Here are some of them. 

• Preserving link equity. Link equity is the value a link passes to another page.
• Passing domain authority. An expired domain can pass its authority to a new website.
• Impact on PageRank. PageRank, which is a component of Google’s algorithm, is affected by the number and quality of links to a page.

Due Diligence: What to Consider Before Buying Expired Domains

Before bidding or buying a domain outright, go over this list to determine its value. 

• Analyze traffic trends. Choose a domain with a growing traffic pattern.
• Investigate backlink profiles. Find out where links come from.
• High domain authority. Domains with this quality are considered to be more trustworthy by search engines.
• Check domain reputation. Determine if it has been penalized before.
• Niche-related. If the expired domain will be redirected to a niche website, make sure that both have content that’s relevant to each other’s niche.

How to Find Expired Domains for 301 Redirects

Search for expired domains for 301 redirects through Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. Below is an outline of how to use one of these services to source domains for expired domain redirects.

Step-by-Step Guide: Finding Expired Domains Using Ahrefs

1. Plug the domain name on Ahrefs.

Log into the account and enter the domain URL on the search bar.

2. Go to the Backlinks option.
Find Backlinks in the sidebar and click it. The user will see a list of the backlinks pointing to a website.e

3. Filter by 301 redirects.

Ahrefs allows users to filter by ‘Link Type’. Choose the redirect option.

4. Verify 301 redirects from external domains.

Browse the list and catch domains that are being redirected.

How to Redirect Expired Domain to New Domain 

Now, let’s get into how expired domain redirects are actually done. The following guide will feature Cloudflare. 

Step-by-step Guide: 301 Redirect with Cloudflare

Before getting started, the user should establish Cloudflare as the domain’s DNS or Domain Name Service.

1. Log in and go to the Domain Dashboard.

2. Go to DNS Control in the left sidebar.

3. Click Add Record.

4. Add a 192.192.192.192, A Record.

5. Go to Redirection Rules.

6. Create a New Redirect Rule.

7. Apply new rule to traffic coming through the expired domain.

8. Enter the following information.

Type: Static

URL: https://[URL-of-the-receving-website.com]

Status Code: 301

9. Deploy the Redirect Rule.

10. Wait at least an hour for the transfer changes to take effect.

Can a 301 Redirect Be Reversed?

Yes, a 301 redirect can be reversed. In fact, a domain owner can remove redirects pointing to their website. Do note, though, that if they do not own the domain doing the redirection, they need to find the owner's contact information and ask them to remove the redirect themselves. 

Should You Buy and Redirect Expired Domains?

Back in the day, redirecting domains was a crucial go-to tactic in the early days of SEO. However, some experts say that this doesn’t work as well as it did before. Essentially, an expired domain age doesn’t really make a website more relevant or useful in answering a user’s query. So, there’s no reason for Google to reward the website because the owner spent money on third parties. 

Building a Brand vs. Relying on Expired Domains: SEO Best Practices

Since using 301 redirects isn’t as reliable as before, building a brand on a new domain remains a great alternative for site owners. Here are some SEO best practices to do just that. 

• Don't just pick a random expired domain. Choose the domain name wisely. It all starts with a good domain name. Pick one that’s catchy, memorable, and likely to appeal to the target audience. Try to choose one that contains a relevant keyword to help Google determine what the website is about.
• Design the website with SEO in mind. Draw out a site map and make plans for internal linking. Doing so will help determine what content is needed to complete a website, from the homepage to internal pages. 
• Create content in advance. Prepare a content brief for every page of a website and write optimized content while the site is being prepared.
• Optimize pages before the launch. Before the site launches, make sure that titles, alt tags, and backlinks are optimized. Don’t hesitate to use SEO tools to make the process faster and easier.