The bulletproof expired domain process

The real cost of buying the wrong expired domain goes way beyond just wasting money on the purchase. I've seen people drop $15,000 on a domain, spend weeks rebuilding it, and invest another couple grand in content, only to watch Google completely deindex it three months later.

Even worse? Sometimes these domains have a sketchy past that doesn't show up in the basic metrics. Maybe it was used for a PBN network back in 2019, or maybe it was penalized for spammy casino content. Either way, you inherit all that baggage.

The common approach is to just look at metrics like DR/DA and call it a day. Some people hop from marketplace to marketplace manually checking domains (a massive time sink). But the most dangerous ones are the "rebuild and pray" folks who grab any high-DR domain and throw up some AI content, hoping it sticks.

Let me show you how to effectively evaluate and rebuild expired domains that stick. This isn't theory—this is the exact process I use for every domain purchase.

Setting up DomCop the right way

First things first: Stop wasting time browsing individual marketplaces. I use DomCop to aggregate everything in one place with these exact filters:

• Domain age > 3 years

• Domain Authority > 40 (but don't just trust this number blindly)

• Spam score < 42

• Trust Flow > 10

• Extensions: Only .com, .co, .net, or .org (keeping it clean and professional)

• Sources: GoDaddy, NameJets, Snap Names, SITO, Dyna, etc.

• Index status: Must be indexed in Google

• Language settings: English only (since that's our target market)

The evaluation framework

Once you have these filters set up, you can save it so that each time you login, you only see domains matching these criteria. I review domains twice per week and evaluate them using the following process:

1. Calculate the ratio between total referring domains and homepage referring domains. If you see a lot of links to inner pages, that's actually good—you can use those for internal linking to new content later.

2. Fire up the Wayback Machine and check every major version of the site. I'm dead serious about this. If you see ANY hint of casino, CBD, or obvious SEO manipulation, move on immediately. One sketchy period in the site's history can tank everything.
   

3. Pull up the traffic graph in Ahrefs. Look for any sudden drops or penalties. If you see a traffic cliff at any point, that's a red flag. We want domains that died a natural death (like the business owner retiring) not ones that got slapped by Google.
   

4. Review the anchor text distribution. You want to see mostly branded anchors (the site's name). If you see a bunch of exact match commercial anchors, that's usually a sign someone was manipulating it.
   

   

   
   Check the URL and anchor text above. This is what you’re looking for. These are good.

5. Check .gov and .edu referring domains. These are often a good sign of the domain's original authority and legitimacy.

This may seem like a lot of up-front research, but it’s essential so you don’t get burned down the road. 

The rebuild strategy

Here's where most people rush and mess everything up. Follow these steps exactly:

1. After purchase, use Wayback Machine to rebuild the site EXACTLY as it was. Same URLs, same structure, same everything. Don't get creative here.
   

2. Submit to Google Search Console and wait 30–60 days. Yes, really. You need to see how Google reacts to the rebuild before making any moves.
   

3. Only after you see positive signs (reindexing, maybe some rankings returning) do you start adding new content.
   

4. Crucial: Keep the same topical focus. If it was a history blog, keep it in history. If it was a small business site, stick to small business topics. You can't turn a photography blog into a casino site and expect it to work.

That’s it! 

What took me years to figure out was just given to you in a four-minute read.

I hope it helps!

Your next steps

Reading articles and theory is cool, but you know what will actually move the needle for your business?

Action. 

Don't just read this. Implement it or send it to a team member.

Here's what to do next:

1. Sign up for a DomCop account and set up the exact filters I shared above.

2. Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns: Domain, DR, Total domains, homepage referring domains, .gov domains, .edu domains, Wayback machine links, most popular anchor text, top linked pages.

3. Find 5 potential domains that meet the initial criteria.

4. Run each through the evaluation framework I outlined.

5. If you find one that passes all checks, wait 24 hours before buying (helps avoid emotional purchases).

6. Rebuild following the steps above.