- Reaction score
- 7
A domain with a history can save you months of work—or cause a problem that's hard to fix. Before you pay, check this out.
1. Site History
Check the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to see what has been on that domain over the years. Be wary if you see sudden changes in subject matter, unrelated content in other languages, or pages for casinos, pharmacies, or spam.
2. Status on Google
Search for "site:mydomain.com" on Google. If no results appear, the site may have been deindexed or penalized. If unusual results appear (in another language, nonsensical text), the site was likely hacked or used for spam.
3. Inbound Links
Use free tools (such as Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, if you've verified the site, or the data from Search Console itself) to check who is linking to the domain. Links from related websites help. Massive numbers of links from low-quality sites do not.
4. Registration Information
Check the registration date, the expiration date, and whether there have been any recent changes in ownership. A domain that has changed hands many times is usually a bad sign.
5. Blacklists
Run it through Google Safe Browsing (transparencyreport.google.com) and a spam or malware list checker.
6. Transfer and Ownership
Make sure the seller can transfer it (authorization code, no restrictions) and always use an escrow service.
Warning Signs
1. Site History
Check the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to see what has been on that domain over the years. Be wary if you see sudden changes in subject matter, unrelated content in other languages, or pages for casinos, pharmacies, or spam.
2. Status on Google
Search for "site:mydomain.com" on Google. If no results appear, the site may have been deindexed or penalized. If unusual results appear (in another language, nonsensical text), the site was likely hacked or used for spam.
3. Inbound Links
Use free tools (such as Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, if you've verified the site, or the data from Search Console itself) to check who is linking to the domain. Links from related websites help. Massive numbers of links from low-quality sites do not.
4. Registration Information
Check the registration date, the expiration date, and whether there have been any recent changes in ownership. A domain that has changed hands many times is usually a bad sign.
5. Blacklists
Run it through Google Safe Browsing (transparencyreport.google.com) and a spam or malware list checker.
6. Transfer and Ownership
Make sure the seller can transfer it (authorization code, no restrictions) and always use an escrow service.
Warning Signs
- The price is very low for the “track record” they promise.
- Metrics screenshots that cannot be verified.
- A rush to settle out of court or to pay out of court.