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How to Find Expired Domains Using Ahrefs

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Finding expired domains is a highly sought-after strategy in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). An expired domain, if it has a strong backlink profile and a history of quality content, can be a powerful asset for building a private blog network (PBN), redirecting traffic, or launching a new website with a built-in authority advantage. While Ahrefs doesn’t have a simple “expired domains” filter, it provides an array of powerful tools that, when used creatively, can uncover these digital goldmines. This guide will walk you through the most effective method—the “broken links” strategy—and provide a detailed framework for vetting and acquiring these domains.

Understanding the Core Strategy: The Broken Links Method

 

The fundamental principle behind using Ahrefs to find expired domains is to leverage the tool’s extensive index of broken outbound links. Websites, especially large, long-running ones, inevitably link to other sites that have since gone offline. When a linked-to domain expires and is not renewed, the link becomes “broken.” By systematically identifying these broken links on authoritative websites, you can find a list of domains that may have recently expired and are available for purchase.

This method is superior to simply using a domain drop-catching service because it allows you to find domains that have a pre-existing, and often valuable, backlink profile from a reputable source.

 

Step 1: Selecting Your Target and Finding Broken Links

 

The success of this strategy hinges on the quality of the websites you analyze. You want to look at large, authoritative websites in your niche that are likely to have a high volume of outgoing links and a long history.

  1. Choose an Authoritative Website: Go to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and enter the URL of a well-known, high-authority website in your niche. Examples could be major industry blogs, news outlets, educational institutions, or government websites. The higher the Domain Rating (DR), the more likely the site is to have valuable broken links. For instance, if you’re in the fitness niche, you might analyze a site like Men’s Health or Bodybuilding.com.
  2. Navigate to the Broken Links Report: Once the analysis is complete, look in the left-hand menu under the Outgoing links section. Click on Broken links. This report lists every external link on the site that returns a 404 “Not Found” error.
  3. Filter for Quality: The raw list of broken links can be overwhelming. To refine your search and find the most valuable opportunities, apply a few crucial filters:
    • Filter by “do-follow”: In the Ahrefs interface, select the “do-follow” filter. Do-follow links are the ones that pass on link equity or “link juice,” which is the primary value you’re seeking. Ignoring no-follow links saves you a lot of time and effort.
    • Sort by “Referring Domains”: While not a direct filter, sorting by “Referring Domains” (the number of other websites linking to the broken link’s URL) can help you prioritize. A broken link with many referring domains is a strong signal that the original site was a respected authority.
  4. Export the Data: Once you have a filtered list of do-follow broken links, click the “Export” button and download the data as a CSV file. For large sites, this file could contain thousands of entries.

 

Step 2: Domain Extraction and Availability Checking

 

This is where you turn a long list of broken URLs into a manageable list of potential expired domains.

  1. Open the CSV File: Use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to open the exported CSV file. The file will contain columns for the source page, the broken URL, the anchor text, and other data.
  2. Isolate the Root Domains: The key is to extract the root domain from each broken URL. For example, from the URL https://www.example.com/blog/old-article, you want to extract just example.com. You can do this with a simple formula in Google Sheets or Excel. A common formula is =REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "https?://([^/]+)") (assuming the URLs are in column A, starting at row 2).
  3. Create a Unique List: Once you have a list of all the root domains, remove duplicates. Many broken links might point to the same expired domain. Create a new column and use a tool like “Remove duplicates” in Excel or the UNIQUE() function in Google Sheets to get a clean list of unique domains.
  4. Bulk Availability Check: Now that you have a list of unique domain names, you need to check which ones are available for registration. Do not do this manually. Use a bulk domain availability checker from a domain registrar. Name.com, GoDaddy, and many other registrars offer this free service. Simply copy your list of domains, paste it into the tool, and it will tell you in seconds which are available, which are taken, and which are in a “pending delete” or “redemption” state.

 

Step 3: Vetting and Analyzing the Discovered Domains

 

Finding an expired domain is only half the battle. The real work is in vetting its quality to ensure it’s a valuable asset and not a liability. A poor-quality expired domain can carry a history of spam and may be penalized by search engines. Use Ahrefs and other tools for a thorough analysis.

  1. Batch Analysis with Ahrefs: Ahrefs has a powerful Batch Analysis tool. Copy your list of available domains from the previous step and paste them into this tool. Ahrefs will quickly provide key metrics for each domain, including:
    • Domain Rating (DR): This is Ahrefs’ proprietary metric for the strength of a website’s backlink profile. A higher DR (e.g., 20+) is generally better.
    • Referring Domains: The number of unique domains linking to the expired domain. A high number here is a great sign.
    • Organic Traffic: While an expired domain will show no current traffic, a non-zero number in the past (available in Site Explorer) is a positive sign that it was a legitimate site.
  2. Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer for Deeper Dive: For the most promising domains, enter them one by one into Site Explorer for a detailed look.
    • Backlink Profile: Go to the “Backlinks” report. Look for the quality of the linking sites. Are they from reputable sources? Are they from your target niche? Be wary of backlinks from spammy PBNs, adult sites, or foreign-language sites (unless you’re targeting that market).
    • Anchor Text: Check the “Anchors” report. Is the anchor text natural and relevant, or is it heavily spammed with exact-match keywords? An anchor text profile like “click here,” “read more,” and “this website” is a good sign.
    • Organic Keywords: Look at the “Organic keywords” report (using the historical data filter). Did the site used to rank for valuable, non-spammy keywords? This tells you about the site’s previous content and legitimacy.
  3. Check Domain History with Wayback Machine: This is a crucial step to avoid buying a “toxic” domain. Go to the Wayback Machine and enter the expired domain’s URL. The Wayback Machine provides a historical archive of what the website looked like at different points in time.
    • Red Flags: Look for signs of a spammy past: foreign language content, casino/gambling pages, pharmaceutical ads, or a site that was suddenly taken over by a “parked domain” page. If the site’s content was constantly changing or was unrelated to its backlinks, it’s likely been used for spam.
    • Positive Signs: If the site had a consistent theme, quality content, and a clean history, it’s a strong candidate.

 

Step 4: Acquisition and Utilization

 

Once you’ve found a high-quality expired domain that passes all the vetting checks, it’s time to acquire it.

  1. Acquire the Domain: Register the domain as you would any other, using a registrar like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. The process is simple since it’s now an available domain.
  2. How to Use the Domain: There are several ways to leverage your new asset:
    • Build a PBN: You can recreate a website on the expired domain, using it as a source of powerful backlinks to your main money site.
    • 301 Redirect: You can set up a 301 redirect from the expired domain to a relevant page on your main website. This passes the link equity directly to your site, but it can be risky if not done carefully.
    • Build a New Authority Site: You can use the domain as the foundation for a new website, capitalizing on its existing authority to rank for keywords much faster than a brand-new domain.

 

Advanced Strategies and Tips

 

  • Look for Multiple Link Sources: Instead of just one authoritative website, analyze a dozen or more. The more data you collect, the higher the chance of finding a real gem.
  • Use Domain Drop-Catchers: If you find a domain that is in a “pending delete” state and is not yet available for general registration, you can use a drop-catching service like ExpiredDomains.net or Namejet to attempt to register it the moment it becomes available.
  • Check Referring Domains, Not Just Domain Rating: Sometimes a domain with a lower DR but a handful of extremely high-quality, niche-relevant links is more valuable than a high-DR domain with a lot of low-quality links. Always check the actual backlinks.

 

Conclusion

 

Ahrefs is a world-class tool for finding powerful expired domains, but it requires a strategic and systematic approach. By mastering the broken links method, rigorously vetting each potential domain, and understanding how to use the data effectively, you can uncover valuable digital assets that can dramatically boost your SEO efforts. The process is meticulous and time-consuming, but the rewards—a site with an instant authority advantage—make the effort well worth it.

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