The web has been around for a good while now, and domains that were bought around the dawn of the internet have become extremely powerful, especially in Google’s eyes. By getting your hands on a very old domain (10+ years old), you can cut your marketing costs, reduce time spent on link acquisition and have a head start in the rankings.

In Google’s view, an old domain = an old site. An old site will have accrued authority over time, especially if it has been linked to from other old sites. By developing a site on this authority, the rewards will come sooner, easier and faster.

You can assess the age of a domain before buying by checking the URL in an online service such as the wayback machine. This wonderful website keeps a periodic record of sites on the web, providing an insight in the website’s past as well as crucually; its age.

Another method would be to check the domain name in a whois service. Many services are available online which keep a record of domain registration – the current owner and contact details as well as when the domain was first registered.

Keep an eye on domain name forums for people selling old domains for cheap, as well the larger domain brokers to get your hands on an old domain. Even if the domain seems costly, if you plan to develop a decent site under the domain, you are much much likely to gain your money back as the old domain makes everything easier in terms of ranking in the SERPs.

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