How to Blog Series
Sean Si of SEO-Hacker.com wrote a post about Google with regard to what is being called the “aging process.” He shared his thoughts and experience on the logic of buying a used domain or “aged” name rather than starting out with a spanking new one.
I Have a Name Already. Thank You.
I’m sure you do, and I’m sure it’s a fine one . . . or maybe it isn’t. As culturally literate members of the community, we should know why old domain names are in such demand. Besides, one day you or a friend will face the question of whether to change a blog’s name, and we need to know everything that comes with making that decision.
Spammers Ruined Things for Everyone
In order to combat spammers, Google algorithms have added values biased toward long-timers.
- bypassing the 6-8 month aging delay
- having a headstart in page rank
- positioning bonuses, such as listing in the search indexes and key directories
Oh and remember if you don’t come back soon, I might be out finding a new, old domain name for Successful Blog. After all, it is a way of social climbing. Change your name and get what comes with it. Let’s see. Hmmmm . . . I wonder if IvanaTrump.com is available yet . . . not that one. Okay then . . .
Be irresistible.
ME “Liz” Strauss Work with Liz on your business!!
Thanks Liz 🙂 for some reason, the techniques outlined seem to work more on expired/deleted ccTLDs. Your regular TLDs seem to lose their link pop value after expiry/deletion.
Liz: I used to think the Google ageing delay was one of the ‘urban legends’ of the web. Didn’t really exist.
However, I have to say that my experience with Unreality TV has proved that. MSN, for example, has provided 6 times the traffic that Google has. Again, obscure searches find us easily, but we’re still seeking ranking for more common terms.
As the site went live in August, we probably still have a bit to go, despite gaining PageRank, backlinks, etc. All this flies in the face of my older, better established domains that get traffic primarily from Google. Needless to say, the experiment has been a surprise to me!
Marc,
Thanks for the notes. I started to write that I knew what you meant. Then I realized that I don’t. What’s a ccTLD? I am hearing that I should drop all contracts I might have been considering to get a domain by bumping off it’s current owner. 🙂
Liz
Hi Gerard,
Yeah, it’s real. It’s there in the patent. You can see it for yourself. Of course, you don’t have to now that you’re living, I guess. It must be frustrating and seem like standing in line at the DMV.
Liz
Its a pretty good point. A lot of the registrars now are pushing registering for 2-3+ years on a new domain to help your integration into the Google mix, I for one like shopping for old domains.
Just so happened that one of my sites, KilkennyMusic.com had been previously registered in the past. But at least it appears on Google! Can’t for the life of me get my own homepage up in Google, but if you search it in Yahoo its there top of the rankings!
Urban myths or not, I surely believe it! Cheers again for the articles Liz, always a good read!
Hi Ken,
Nice to meet you.
Glad to hear that your old domain is doing something for you. Good luck on your new one.
Thanks for your words of encouragement. Nice to have your voice in the mix adding your experience.
smiles,
Liz
If you buy an expired domain for its Google indexing, verify that Google still has a cached copy of the old site before buying.
If Google has already cleared the domain name from its cache, you will still be subject to the ageing delay (aka Sandbox).
There is a delay of several weeks between the official date of domain expiration and the day of domain availability during which time, many domain names are cleared by Google.
Hi James,
Welcome back.
Thanks for adding that advice. It’s good to know how those things work.
Don’t you hate it that all these great childhood words are becoming serious Internet terms? First was “tag.” Now it’s “Sandbox.” We should start a list, and maybe a pool for what will be next. 🙂
Liz
You’d want to make sure it wasn’t a bad (spammy) domain before, too – it might be on some sort of Google blacklist.
Yeah, Jennifer.
THAT’s a really good idea.
Liz
I think having a good backlink strategy can make any new domain incredibly effective for SEM…
For instance, one of my newer sites(created after the last PR update) is allready at the top of the engines for all the terms I wanted and I am getting about 1k hits a day from Google right now on the new site.
So IT IS possible to have a new site succeed in the game…
In saying that, I once bought a domain that had like 4k backlinks to the main page indexed by Google and was in Dmoz…I was spyched.
BUT, the links where not optimized propperly for what I needed and I could not get high in the rankings for several terms that I could with a brand new site…
Google had allready “branded” the site as one thing, and did not want to hear that it was a little different…
Hi,Dave,
I agree that backlink stratgy well managed when coupled with relevant content–part of the strategy-is where the game is at. Offense not defense is the way to go. Wow starting out in the DMOZ is no little thing. I’d love to do that. Congratulations on that move. So you must have started with a page rank too?
Liz
Just a quick comment, domain names (and the keywords they represent) also affect the traffic your website wil get. while buying a used domain will get you going fast at first, it won’t do you any good in the long term. this of your domain name as you buy it (old or new) and see if the name is catchy and easy to remember and also if it contains the keywords that represent your site
Thank you, Ohad for adding that to the discussion. Yes, sometimes we can be too focused in the moment and the 99 links we get with this domain name, but they won’t last forever and the wwwithinkyousmellfunny.com will be with you a long, long time. 🙂
Good point.