poll Do you Google a domain before you purchase it?

[S-B]

I personally make sure I Google every domain I make an offer on to ensure there aren't any failed auctions or older threads with better prices. Do you do the same?

 

[Name Trader]

I sometimes forget to in the exuberance of the moment. But I do try to google every domain I buy, both as "keyword keyword" and as domainname.com

 

[S-B]

I sometimes forget to in the exuberance of the moment. But I do try to google every domain I buy, both as "keyword keyword" and as domainname.com

I completely understand. I've made the unfortunate mistake of buying domains that I later found out failed at auction multiple times. Now it is part of my process. You live and you learn!

 

[Kate]

A quick Google search is just the beginning

 

[Nattydomain]

Yes I do to see if they been indexed or any isues...also do the Way Back Machine as well

 

[biggie]

I yahoo.ooo it

 

[S-B]

A quick Google search is just the beginning

Care to share?

Yes I do to see if they been indexed or any isues...also do the Way Back Machine as well

Good point!

I yahoo.ooo it

Yahoo.ooo must have slipped my mind. :P

 

[Domaingel]

I Google the domain as site:whateveritis.com to see what pages are indexed if any. I then check to see if the website was being used for something shady so I look at the cache pages if available. Then the I go to the WayBackMachine. Then I Google the phrase as exact match to see how common the word/phrase is. Then I check to see if it's trademarked.

 

[Kate]

Care to share?

Archive.org (as said below)

 

[Name Trader]

I Google the domain as site:whateveritis.com to see what pages are indexed if any. I then check to see if the website was being used for something shady so I look at the cache pages if available. Then the I go to the WayBackMachine. Then I Google the phrase as exact match to see how common the word/phrase is. Then I check to see if it's trademarked.

I try to do all these too. In addition to these, I always check that the domain isn't faillisted, or even adult, on Google.

 

[S-B]

I Google the domain as site:whateveritis.com to see what pages are indexed if any. I then check to see if the website was being used for something shady so I look at the cache pages if available. Then the I go to the WayBackMachine. Then I Google the phrase as exact match to see how common the word/phrase is. Then I check to see if it's trademarked.

I've never actually used Archive.org before purchasing a domain. I might just incorporate that into my process. Thanks for sharing!

Archive.org (as said below)

I was wondering if you had some super secret tactics. :P

I try to do all these too. In addition to these, I always check that the domain isn't faillisted, or even adult, on Google.

Very smart.

 

[Name Trader]

I've only ever purchased one faillisted domain intentionally. I've owned it about 9 months now. Occasionally, when I have some spare time on my hands, I try to get the faillisting lifted. I disavow all backlinks. But somehow I still get more crappy backlinks, and so it is still faillisted. It seems like an impossible uphill task to get a domain unfaillisted. So this is why this is such an important check. I know end-users don't often check this when they are enamored with a domain. But I am uncomfortable selling a faillisted domain. My goal is to only have this one faillisted domain in my portfolio, but parking most of my domains, a small percentage will become faillisted through not fault of my own.

 

[alien51]

Being in the End User business, i try to Google a keyword-combination domain to see and gauge my potential competitors. If i am up against deeply-rooted well-ranked sites, then i might give up and just look for another domain to use.

 

[N-A]

I only Archive.org it to determine whether there may have been content on the page that may make an end user weary or angry that they purchased a domain connected to something horrible, when they are a hardware store.

There are other reasons that I use Google for, but not to check the past price. That holds no weight in my eyes during a pitch and counter-offers.

If a an end user notices that a domain sold for $200 in 2007, just point out the obvious that their neighbors house sold for $200,000 ten years ago and it's on the market again for $750,000 because they're moving (a scenario that they can understand).

There is no difference between domain names, real-estate or any other asset besides it being intangible. Then again, you could say that about money in a bank while the doors are closed (can't touch it until Monday). Once you can get that through their head; in a tactful and professional manner, they are on the same page with you on pricing and willing to budge from the price tat they saw 7 years ago to something more reasonable that you can both settle on.

I have to mention that I have done it before and was like, "well, I wish I had a time machine to go back to 2004 and purchase it for $50 instead of $1000... or wait, if I had a time machine, I could just hand register all LL.com combinations and sold most of them to CentralNIC".

 

[Soofi]

without #fail :P

 

[S-B]

I've only ever purchased one faillisted domain intentionally. I've owned it about 9 months now. Occasionally, when I have some spare time on my hands, I try to get the faillisting lifted. I disavow all backlinks. But somehow I still get more crappy backlinks, and so it is still faillisted. It seems like an impossible uphill task to get a domain unfaillisted. So this is why this is such an important check. I know end-users don't often check this when they are enamored with a domain. But I am uncomfortable selling a faillisted domain. My goal is to only have this one faillisted domain in my portfolio, but parking most of my domains, a small percentage will become faillisted through not fault of my own.

That sounds like a nightmare. I wish you luck, my friend.

Being in the End User business, i try to Google a keyword-combination domain to see and gauge my potential competitors. If i am up against deeply-rooted well-ranked sites, then i might give up and just look for another domain to use.

Aw, a little competition never hurt anyone.

I only Archive.org it to determine whether there may have been content on the page that may make an end user weary or angry that they purchased a domain connected to something horrible, when they are a hardware store.

There are other reasons that I use Google for, but not to check the past price. That holds no weight in my eyes during a pitch and counter-offers.

If a an end user notices that a domain sold for $200 in 2007, just point out the obvious that their neighbors house sold for $200,000 ten years ago and it's on the market again for $750,000 because they're moving (a scenario that they can understand).

There is no difference between domain names, real-estate or any other asset besides it being intangible. Then again, you could say that about money in a bank while the doors are closed (can't touch it until Monday). Once you can get that through their head; in a tactful and professional manner, they are on the same page with you on pricing and willing to budge from the price tat they saw 7 years ago to something more reasonable that you can both settle on.

I have to mention that I have done it before and was like, "well, I wish I had a time machine to go back to 2004 and purchase it for $50 instead of $1000... or wait, if I had a time machine, I could just hand register all LL.com combinations and sold most of them to CentralNIC".

Well, failed auctions are usually an indicator that the name does not have the promise you had originally hoped. I do agree with your real estate analogy though. That is a justification when speaking with endusers. Domainers, however, tend to be a little more fickle.

without #fail :P

Thanks for weighing in. :D

 

[anhnguyenict]

I googling, check whois, check other extensions, ...

 

[Domaingel]

Also if it's a brandable, I check to see if the social media accounts are being used, @whateveritis. When I was searching for a business name, I had found that the domain wasn't being used but the exact match social media account was used with alot of obscenities and vulgarities (not so nice things they want to do with your mother). This would have been embarrassing for me so I had to dump the name that would have been perfect for my business.

 

[enlytend]

I Google the domain as site:whateveritis.com to see what pages are indexed if any. I then check to see if the website was being used for something shady so I look at the cache pages if available. Then the I go to the WayBackMachine.

That, and I check the backlink profile - ahrefs, majestic, OSE, whichever. If I see that it's been spammed to death I personally don't want it (and if I were going to sell it I'd to know in case the subject comes up.)

Wayback - sites can block archive.org_bot and ia_archiver so no results doesn't mean it's clean.

Googling the domain (without the site: operator) should also turn up any reputation issues it may have had in the past.

 

[ulterios]

Depending on if I want to develop a site on the name will determine what I do before a purchase. I think reselling, parking and keepers for development can sometimes mean you look at a few different things. I like to develop so I check Google and a couple other search engines, Archive.org, the social sites name availabilities, email availabilities (just so I can have them if needed), spam checks, any indexed pages, etc...

 

[jideofor]

Personally, I google it to see how many companies use the keyword in their URL.

Then I Who.is to see how many extensions are taken.

Then I Archive.org it.

Basically, I now check for more value to a domain name.

 

[VNA]

I usually google the term/keyword to check possible uses. If it’s a high priced domain, I also check detailed domain history. But I rarely care about any failed auctions or older threads with better prices as they don’t determine the current value of the domain.

Failed auctions could be because of listing the domain at wrong time and wrong place. Older threads with better prices could be from a time when the seller needed urgent cash or might not have known how to price them.

 

[alien51]

Wayback - sites can block archive.org_bot and ia_archiver so no results doesn't mean it's clean.

Yes, i block the wayback archive bot from all my domains. I don't want buyers to research the archives and find out that some of my domains have a "for sale" landing page for the past 8 years with no buyer. LOL

In my view, someone with a so-so domain who is having a hard time selling it, will be under pressure to succumb to low balls.

 

[Tia Wood]

I like using:

Archive.org
Google.com, with and without quotes
Bing.com, with and without quotes
Twitter & Facebook Search
Alexa.com, for a general range
Namechk.com, for branding potential availability
Google AdWords Keyword Planner
Google Insights

 

[Domainstore]

Answer to the main question => A lot of times I do, and a lot of times I don't.