Definition
An expired domain is a domain name whose owner did not renew its registration, making it available for purchase. The SEO interest lies in the fact that the domain retains its backlink profile, accumulated authority, and indexation history. SEO specialists buy expired domains to use as PBNs, to perform 301 redirects to their money site, or to rebuild a site. The expired domain market is very active, with specialized platforms like ExpiredDomains.net, GoDaddy Auctions, and SnapNames. Evaluating an expired domain involves checking its backlink profile, history (archive.org), absence of penalties, and topical relevance.
Key Points
- The backlink profile is the main asset of an expired domain
- Always verify history and absence of penalties before purchase
- 301 redirects from expired domains are a gray area for Google
Practical Examples
Strategic acquisition
An SEO blog with a DA of 45 and 200 referring domains expires. An SEO specialist buys it for 50 euros, rebuilds a topically similar site, and benefits from the inherited authority.
301 redirect
A topically relevant expired domain with strong backlinks is purchased and 301-redirected to the money site, transferring some of the link juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ExpiredDomains.net for searching, then evaluate each domain with Ahrefs (DR, backlink profile), archive.org (history), and Google (current indexation). Prioritize domains with a clean, relevant link profile.
Google has stated that 301 redirects from expired domains used as link schemes do not pass value. If the domain is topically relevant and rebuilt with genuine content, the links retain more value.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07