Is it worth buying aged domains?

I'm starting a new website and I need some feedback. I'm trying to decide whether I should buy a new domain name that's keyword perfect or get one that is not exactly keyword perfect, but is 7 years old and is expiring.

I've heard that the older the domain name, the better for ranking quickly. In fact, when I look at my Top 10 Competitors on G, I see that all of their domains have been around since 1998 to 2004.

The expiring domain will be bought at auction to avoid it being dropped of course.

The expiring domain has no PR and only 15 inbound links, but hey, it's got a 7 year history in archive.org (10 pages).

What do you think? Does buying an aged domain really make that much of a difference?

 

Does the old domain share the same topic as the website you are planning to create? I've heard that Google wipes the back-link slate clean when there is a registrant transfer, but if you keep the same topic as the old site, Google will still favor the domain in the rankings.

Keep in mind that you are also building a brand, so you want to be as focused as possible on your niche. If the old domain name doesn't exactly apply to your industry or could be confusing to your users, I would avoid it in favor of another domain name.

 

Yep, it's the same topic. The site is a PR0 right now with 15 random (non-important) inbound links. Even if Google didn't count them, my gut instinct tells me that once I start generating some high quality backlinks that Google will rank me better and faster because the domain name has been around for 7 years and not 1 month.

 

ya, go with the aged domain - for some reason the big g seems to love it!

 

You know you lose the age when you register? It will show at only just registered.

 

Kalyse, that's only if it does indeed expire. If you buy it at auction, then you get it before it expires.

 

If it is directed at your niche and doesn't cost alot I would like it is definatley worth picking up. Also check the inlinks to make sure none of them are coming from link farms.

 

Got it. Thanks kbeus21.

 

I almost past this up, but i would consider the new domain name. If you could come up with a domain name that is easier to market. Do not worry about getting the keyword in the domain if you can locate a domain that has pop.....compelling.

The old domain name should be compelling. Don't fall in love with the age of the site.

 

yea it does some how.........but dont pay much for that...

 

The age is important, but it is not the most important factor. In the long term, I do not think it will make a big difference, although it may help at the beginning. I suggest that you do not pay a lot more for an aged domain. That money could be invested on SEO with more benefits. A good reason to buy a existing domain (aged or not) is the name. If that website has already a good amount of targeted traffic, it might be a good reason to buy that precise domain.

 

Great feedback. Thanks everyone. I'm going to focus on the POP and SEO instead of buying a name JUST because it's been around for a couple of years. You all just saved me a couple hundred dollars

 

It's not worth it ... in my book

 

Go with a domain name you like, old domains don't really do that much for you unless it is a well known name. If age meant power every domain name in the world would be registered and people would let them sit around and sell them 7 years later.