I'm currently in the process of building an authority site in a hobby niche, using an expired domain.
It's in an evergreen hobby niche that is likely to be around even in the next 100 years and beyond (I hope, lol).
****************
For those that don't know,
An expired domain is an aged domain name that was previously used by another company before allowing it to expire for whatever reasons they had, and a good one would have acquired some useful backlinks while it was being used. It's believed that its age and those backlinks may help it rank better in search engines, compared to starting from scratch with a brand new domain name.
This is absolutely whitehat and recognized and accepted by Google (provided it's done correctly), as companies may change domain names or buy and sell domain names as they desire.
It's controversial whether this actually works for SEO or not, a lot depends on the domain name and what it was used for, the nature of its backlinks (whether good or bad), and the relationship to what it's being used for currently.
This thread will shed more light on it, based on my experience from my own project.
*********************
Overall Aim:
To create a site that will become a major authority site in that hobby niche, and a dominant brand in that niche, by being a major resource for the enthusiasts in that niche, with high quality content.
How:
I'll outsource the content creation to qualified writers in the niche. Don't have the time or the inclination to write articles there myself.
I'll also hire link builders to help me generate backlinks (strictly whitehat) by reaching out to other blogs and high authority sites in the niche for guest posting opportunities, and other link building strategies, to help rank higher in the search engines.
Everything that will be done on this site is strictly whitehat, as I plan for it to be around for a long time, possibly as long as the niche exists, so I wouldn't want to jeopardize its chances by doing something as stupid as using blackhat techniques.
Sources of Traffic:
Will generate traffic from SEO, and social media, as well as niche forums, groups and email lists.
I plan to do this by creating quality content, as well as organizing contests and giveaways and other things that attract some attention in the niche.
I fully understand the risks of relying solely on SEO and Google's mercurial updates for traffic. So to mitigate that, I plan to diversify the traffic sources by building a strong social media following, as well as as large email lists and push notifications to keep people coming back. And all the while, building a strong brand in people's mind to keep them coming back by direct type-in traffic.
Sources of revenue:
Affiliate partnerships majorly initially, then later on diversify to ecommerce and possibly subscriptions.
I also recognize the inherent risk in relying solely on affiliate income, so I'll mitigate that by joining as many high quality affiliate programs as I can (so that if one goes belly up, the impact is less), rather than relying on one major affiliate program like Amazon. I'll also later diversify into ecommerce and possibly subscriptions later on down the line.
I have no idea whether this project will be successful or not, but I reasonably believe it has good chances of success, based on my research.
Either way, Win or lose, I would have learnt a lot.
And you guys will have a front seat watching it play out.
I decided to create this thread to document the journey and process, so others that are interested can benefit from it.
And also to help keep me accountable.
It's in an evergreen hobby niche that is likely to be around even in the next 100 years and beyond (I hope, lol).
****************
For those that don't know,
An expired domain is an aged domain name that was previously used by another company before allowing it to expire for whatever reasons they had, and a good one would have acquired some useful backlinks while it was being used. It's believed that its age and those backlinks may help it rank better in search engines, compared to starting from scratch with a brand new domain name.
This is absolutely whitehat and recognized and accepted by Google (provided it's done correctly), as companies may change domain names or buy and sell domain names as they desire.
It's controversial whether this actually works for SEO or not, a lot depends on the domain name and what it was used for, the nature of its backlinks (whether good or bad), and the relationship to what it's being used for currently.
This thread will shed more light on it, based on my experience from my own project.
*********************
GENERAL OVERVIEW:
Overall Aim:
To create a site that will become a major authority site in that hobby niche, and a dominant brand in that niche, by being a major resource for the enthusiasts in that niche, with high quality content.
How:
I'll outsource the content creation to qualified writers in the niche. Don't have the time or the inclination to write articles there myself.
I'll also hire link builders to help me generate backlinks (strictly whitehat) by reaching out to other blogs and high authority sites in the niche for guest posting opportunities, and other link building strategies, to help rank higher in the search engines.
Everything that will be done on this site is strictly whitehat, as I plan for it to be around for a long time, possibly as long as the niche exists, so I wouldn't want to jeopardize its chances by doing something as stupid as using blackhat techniques.
Sources of Traffic:
Will generate traffic from SEO, and social media, as well as niche forums, groups and email lists.
I plan to do this by creating quality content, as well as organizing contests and giveaways and other things that attract some attention in the niche.
I fully understand the risks of relying solely on SEO and Google's mercurial updates for traffic. So to mitigate that, I plan to diversify the traffic sources by building a strong social media following, as well as as large email lists and push notifications to keep people coming back. And all the while, building a strong brand in people's mind to keep them coming back by direct type-in traffic.
Sources of revenue:
Affiliate partnerships majorly initially, then later on diversify to ecommerce and possibly subscriptions.
I also recognize the inherent risk in relying solely on affiliate income, so I'll mitigate that by joining as many high quality affiliate programs as I can (so that if one goes belly up, the impact is less), rather than relying on one major affiliate program like Amazon. I'll also later diversify into ecommerce and possibly subscriptions later on down the line.
I have no idea whether this project will be successful or not, but I reasonably believe it has good chances of success, based on my research.
Either way, Win or lose, I would have learnt a lot.
And you guys will have a front seat watching it play out.
I decided to create this thread to document the journey and process, so others that are interested can benefit from it.
And also to help keep me accountable.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
