Finding Traffic Domains

traffic.jpgRelated somewhat to my earlier post on mini sites and also finding an old domain for a new venture it is always a great boost to get a domain name with some traffic, generic domain names often have type in traffic but cost good money, the other type of domain name with traffic is one with a history that has been used before, in this case even if it has expired you could register the domain and find it has traffic from links around the internet.

Just one of many resources that could help you find these type of domains would be a listing like such as: http://osx.hyperjeff.net/Apps/Graveyard.php A complete list of graveyard game application sites no longer in use, in there will be domains that are in use/have expired/have dead pages, many of which have good backlinks and some  traffic. A graveyard for some, rich pickings for other ;)

I have not gone through that list but I did quickly check and see the game called Gravitass which was under the domain name www.forevergames.co.uk, a quick check showed that domain was available for registration after recently expiring. A check on Yahoo site explorer shows some site backlinks. So I registered that domain ($10/£5), it had 10 visitors yesterday so I’m sure its worth a mini site and a nice enough domain name too. 

Finding domains before they expire is often the better option as there are huge and highly skilled industries established that monitor good domain names that drop or expire so it’s preferable trying to secure one for free or very little if the owner has since lost interest and is letting the domain expire.

Another way would be to look up deleting domain lists and then google the domain name to see how many references there are listed, this can give you a good indication of the possibility of traffic to the website through existing backlinks. Use Yahoo and MSN to also check backlink numbers and backlink source on any good one’s you find and check for history in archive.org

There are dedicated sites and software offering information on expiring domains with traffic however as with most honey pots you are not alone in the search, there are services such as Snapnames and Pool which can try and secure expiring domain names for a fee of around $60.

Buying traffic domains is a quick step onto the earnings ladder, the ways above are a very cheap way, if your budget stretches more then you can go shopping at sites like:

Chances are you’ll see the same domains on a lot of those sites and the sellers may have used a variety of tools and methods to secure domains that have recently expired, some domains listed there may get thousands of visitors per day there but do your homework first, don’t always believe figures that are given to you. I suggest you bid or buy subject to a traffic test, this is a common security method whereby after the seller lets you install a tracker or points the domain somewhere so that you can verify the stated traffic for a few days before making payment.

Be sure to check the source of the traffic meaning which sites/links drive traffic to the domain and which country are the visitors from, that’s valuable information that you will need when deciding how to monetise it later and you will have to decide depending on the traffic source whether you feel it will likely continue at it’s present rate.

  • Tip: Make sure you don’t lose any traffic coming in to old pages and directories so setup a custom error page or use your htaccess file to ensure you give all visitors a page and don’t lose out.

Whichever way you go traffic domains can be an excellent addition to the portfolio either for resale or for building a mini site which can earn easy and residual income for some time to come.

Just a little for info on this post.
I have bought 5 domain that I had found from this page using Pool.com which cost $60 each usually looking for good link popularity and therefore some traffic to make the domain pay itself back quickly, 2 days after I bought one of them I received an offer of $1000 through Afternic, jammy or what!

About Scott Jones

Scott hails from the north east of Scotland and started earning online at the end of 2000 building websites for local businesses during which time he won an award from Lord Alan Sugar for Excellence in Enterprise. After having quite a bit of success with domaining Scott mainly runs educational evergreen websites which generate over 3 million visitors per month but is always on the lookout for a fresh thinking out of the box way to turn a buck. Follow on Twitter.

Comments

  1. So do you just look for a good looking domain name and then check it and then think of something to put on it, or do you have particular keywords in mind when looking for one, to suit an idea or content you have?

    • For this I was only looking for domains with possible traffic for either a mini site or re-sale as you have a very limited choice on the domains expiring so link popularity counts. For example chatcenter2.com brings up 1270 results when googling the domain name and expires 30th May, would possibly be worth a backorder imo. A good name would be a bonus though like forevergames.co.uk, that sounds a nice name and was expired so I got it at reg fee.

  2. I love the last resource you link to - definitely worth a look every now and again for some potentially valuable domain names about to drop.

    - Martin Reed

  3. As you can already see I have a domain that I made up and I love along with alot of other people. They always say, I can’t beleive that was available. My domain name came from the word biz and business combined to make the word bizenez. At one time I had 991 visitors in one week when I has photos on it. But since I went to web design its been up to about 821 in a week tops. But lately it’s been down alot but I haven’t been updating it. But soon I might be using it for a big project. So I’m sure that it will have good ratings once it’s something people are interested in.
    http://www.bizenez.com
    I also just created a blog and would like some opinions on it.
    http://bizenez.blogspot.com

    • Its a good start Bizenez, once you build up around 10 posts then start promoting your blog and get it linked to from your main homepage, link to good sites when making a post can get others attention and try and have a main focus or subject matter.

      • Thanks Scott
        I know that it will take alot of work but anything worth doing is worth doing well. I am in the process of redoing my whole website http://www.bizenez.com. After that is done and I have more post like you said, I’ll link it to my homepage.
        Again , thanks Scott.

  4. $1000 for keeping the domain for 2 days? So, your interest rate would be….10000% !!!

Trackbacks

  1. [...] everyone has money for a traffic domain, the size of the domain industry that has quickly built up around dropcatching is startling, using [...]

Speak Your Mind

*