Checking traffic on Tdnam names

[markfromslo]

If I want to check the traffic stats on an expiring tdnam auction names, how do I go about that? When a name is in this status, isn't the pr removed and often the links to the site in Google removed? Alexa rank?

What can I do to check that there are actually sites still incorporating outbound links to it?

I know how to do it on active names, but it seems to be different with these?

And when I check these names in Google with "links:" in Google, often none show up, even though traffic is in the 10,000's per month.

 

[Ronald Regging]

nothing is removed, because the domain hasn't technically expired, it was renewed, just by the registrar. Often times at this point, the domain will have been inactive for some time, so who knows, there may be no PR or backlinks, but then it wouldn't be getting traffic... You can use iwebtool.com or seologs.com to check for PR and backlinks etc. If its showing 50,000 hits a month and 0 backlinks, then the traffic is probably fake. I often see people bidding up supposed traffic names on TDNAM to like $2,000, which have no backlinks or anything that would explain any source of legitimate traffic.

 

[markfromslo]

Wow, in checking many of the names, it appears that quite a few must have fake traffic.

How does this occur, since doesn't Godaddy simply count the number of hits it receives in the last 30 days or so?

 

[Ronald Regging]

Well, other traffic domains could be redirecting to the expired domain, which would essentially inflate the stats and offer no gaurantee that it will stay that way after you buy it As for why someone would do this, consider that the person who owned the expired domain gets a % of the final selling price from TDNAM... Also if the domain is bidding at $2000, it's possible for someone to try to directly contact the original owner through WHOIS, offer them $500 to renew the domain and transfer it to them. If I owned a domain and was letting it expire and suddenly had a $500 offer, I'd probably do it. But it's possible that people know this happens... So they inflate the stats on their own expired domains, wait for an offer, then essentially make a good price off a completely worthless domain.

I'm sure there are other possibilities as well, some legitimate, some not... For instance... Suppose Namepros expired and suddenly lost its PR and Backlinks... Well, I doubt any of us would even notice, because we all either type it in directly or have it bookmarked... So in that regard, it'd still be receiving legitimate traffic. It's just extremely hard to know the situation on a random domain with traffic and unless it has verifiable sources for legitimate traffic (like backlinks), it's probably not a safe bet.

 

[circa1850]

Wow, in checking many of the names, it appears that quite a few must have fake traffic.

How does this occur, since doesn't Godaddy simply count the number of hits it receives in the last 30 days or so?

I agree, the majority is bogus numbers.

I have personally seen names that I dropped appear at auction as expired domains with BS stats. If they were that good to begin with, I would have never dropped them. I called this to TDNAM's/GoDaddy's attention and got a canned response from their system regarding their research and no guarantee, blah, blah, blah.

It is a marketing ploy by GoDaddy and TDNAM to get attention and get bids on domain names that normally would not get attention. They have come up with so many damn icons and add ons and hype to promote their own domain names. They are baiting bidders and bidders are taking the bait. Their newest trick is if a domain gets a bid within the final two minutes then they add on an additional two minutes. This essentially becomes almost a perpetual auction that can go on for hours after the original ending time. Do they do this for private sellers? No. Only TDNAM/GoDaddy names.

What ends up happening is those of us who are trying to sell a worthy domain name on TDNAM are literally lost in the hype. Two days ago when I was checking in on my auctions, every single domain in their MOST ACTIVE AUCTIONS listing belonged to...you guessed it; TDNAM, aka GoDaddy.

These were some of the biggest duds I had ever seen yet bidders were biting on the bait of super inflated traffic. Meanwhile, legitimately good domains are being passed over but that is where some of the real bargains are.

TDNAM and GoDaddy might as well just stop allowing other domainers to sell on their site. Their support and service is pathetic if existant at all, most of their personnel do not even know their own policies, they have dedicated themselves to promoting themselves, and their is no real incentive to private sellers. Yes, they make a commission on sales. But what the hell does a 5% and a 7% commission add up to when they make 100% margin of their own hyped up product?

Keep in mind, GoDaddy is the largest registrar in the world with a never ending supply of expired names. It is of no advantage to them to let a name drop and get out in the market for re-registration. They will charge only $8.95 should you find one and register it with them vs. $895.00 with the hype behind the bull.

I would be very cautious with the numbers they show. I am not sure there is a way to verify and validate the numbers. And I would hate to think that I am buying traffic when I end up getting nothing but hype.

 

[markfromslo]

Thanks for the words of caution, circa. I too find it a horrible place to sell a name.

I also try to avoid buying private party names since there is no escrow service and many of the sellers are very unsophisticated at delivering names, if they are not outright trying to rip you off, knowing there is no oversight.

However, I find it an excellent place to purchase expired domain names. As you said, most everyone are all over the highlighted names. There are some real gems lost in the mix if you know how to search for them. And the great thing is that the names end up being registered at Godaddy, not some obscure registrar in the Ukraine or China or wherever, which are often very difficult to transfer out of.

As for the 2-minute extension, I didn't like that change either. But, in fairness, it is the same thing that snapnames and pool and the other also do, only they use 5-6 minutes.

As for why someone would do this, consider that the person who owned the expired domain gets a % of the final selling price from TDNAM...

I don't think this is true, is it really?

 

[Ronald Regging]

I don't think this is true, is it really?

Yep. I know a few people on here have reported getting checks from GoDaddy for names they let expire.

 

[circa1850]

Well, other traffic domains could be redirecting to the expired domain, which would essentially inflate the stats and offer no gaurantee that it will stay that way after you buy it

Very true and very tempting

As for why someone would do this, consider that the person who owned the expired domain gets a % of the final selling price from TDNAM...

Very true. The domain has entered into it's grace period and is about to fall. I have had a couple of domain names that I purchased get re-regged during the time I was waiting for TDNAM to place it in my account.

Expired is expired and TDNAM/GoDaddy gets 100% of proceeds. Nice little piece of the market they have.

Also if the domain is bidding at $2000, it's possible for someone to try to directly contact the original owner through WHOIS, offer them $500 to renew the domain and transfer it to them. If I owned a domain and was letting it expire and suddenly had a $500 offer, I'd probably do it.

I have thought about this but you have to be quick. I think TDNAM/GoDaddy stays a step ahead by changing the registry and the servers. Usually if you check a domain in the first day or two it will still have the rightful owner's info.

I discovered this by accident when I was amazed at two dictionary domains dropping that I really wanted, both were the same word...a .com and .net. When I first looked, they were both registered to the same person. Before I placed a bid, I wanted to be sure that I wasn't wasting my time and money if the owner was going to renew registration.

When I checked the WHOIS database a day or two later to see if there were any updates, everything was changed over to a TDNAM or GoDaddy entity complete with new expiration dates. I contacted TDNAM to inquire about this and they said that was their info and the expiration dates reflected the new expiration date (the domains had bids on them). So they knew it would not drop.

Yup, I got them.

 

[Ronald Regging]

I have thought about this but you have to be quick. I think TDNAM/GoDaddy stays a step ahead by changing the registry and the servers. Usually if you check a domain in the first day or two it will still have the rightful owner's info.

Yeah I didn't think about the whois updating... But lots of people have access to whois history, so it's not a completely delimiting factor to finding out who owned it previously. And even if it's past the grace period, the original owner can always renew for a premium I believe. Thats why they wait 2 weeks to transfer the domain, because theres still 2 weeks in which the original owner could reclaim the domain if they really wanted to.

I'm not really sure about everything involved, but I think it's a safe bet just to assume that unless you can verify the traffic as having legitimate sources, it's probably not worth wasting money on, unless you can pick one up super cheap I was recently watching a domain that ended at $10 and had some legitimate backlinks. Unfortunately I missed it and it ended before I could place a bid. Saw it sell somewhere recently for $235 So there are definitely some nice bargains to be had, you just have to be careful and do some research.

 

[cache]

be very carefull, I almost be fooled last time when I bid some domain at tdnam