Domain History Check – Included with Every New Website Purchase!
When you purchase a new website with a domain through our service, a comprehensive Domain History Check is part of the package. We also offer this service as a standalone Domain History Report for $250.
What’s Included in the Domain History Report:
- WHOIS registration data
- Backlink analysis
- Previous use information
- Blacklist status checks
- Common search result data
Why Checking Domain History Is Crucial
Buying a domain is easy, with prices starting as low as $15. But the real issue lies in its history. Once a domain goes live, it becomes part of the vast web of indexed pages in search engines. If the domain was previously used—especially if it held importance—it can be challenging to repurpose it for a different goal.
A domain’s past can affect how search engines view and rank it today. Whether it was blacklisted, hosted spammy content, or had a strong focus on a specific niche, these factors can impact your SEO rankings and overall site performance.
Unfortunately, most domain registrars don’t provide this essential information upfront. This leaves buyers in the dark, only to discover issues long after the purchase. Raising awareness about the importance of checking a domain’s history could help push for more transparency, especially as more domains are recycled.
Real-Life Example: After 20 years of designing websites, I recently learned this lesson firsthand. I bought a domain, tecgab.com, only to find out it wasn’t ranking for my technology news content. Why? Because it used to be a tech service website, and Google was still indexing old pages from 2020. The domain had been inactive for over three years, but search engines were still tied to its past.
I now believe domain registrars should disclose a domain’s history, similar to how real estate agents must inform buyers of a property’s past—like whether a house has had significant issues or tragedies. Transparency like this would save buyers from inheriting a “haunted” domain full of SEO ghosts from its past!en you buy a house they have to inform you someone died there … that is exactly what has happened here. Now I have to deal with ghosts that are not mine.
These are some of the pages that Google is looking for that no longer exist.
How to Clear Google’s Records and Boost Your Domain’s Ranking
If your newly acquired domain has a troubled past, it’s essential to take steps to clear old records and improve your chances of ranking for your new content. Follow these steps to give your domain a fresh start:
1. Submit a Change of Address in Google Search Console:
- Sign up for Google Search Console.
- Verify ownership of your domain.
- Once verified, submit a “Change of Address” request. This tells Google that your site structure and content have changed, helping them reindex it with your new purpose in mind.
2. Remove Old URLs:
- In Search Console, use the URL Removal Tool to request the removal of outdated URLs or pages that no longer exist. This speeds up Google’s process of updating its index with your new content.
3. Submit a New Sitemap:
- Create a fresh XML sitemap that reflects your current website structure and content.
- Upload it to Google Search Console so that search engines can crawl and index the relevant pages for your new content.
4. Update Your Robots.txt and 404 Pages:
- Ensure that your robots.txt file is correctly set up to allow search engines to crawl your new content.
- Create a custom 404 page to guide both users and search engines to your new content when they stumble upon old, broken links.
5. Use 301 Redirects:
- If your old domain had valuable backlinks or high-traffic pages, use 301 redirects to point those old URLs to your new content. This helps preserve whatever SEO value the domain might have left and avoids frustrating users with broken links.
6. Request Reconsideration:
- Once you’ve completed these steps, you can request reconsideration through Search Console if you believe past penalties or indexing issues are holding your site back. This will help Google reassess the domain based on its fresh content and structure.
Final Thought: Why History Matters More Than Price
Clearing old records and optimizing a domain takes more effort than many realize—especially if the domain had a significant past. While a new domain may only cost around $15, the real cost comes in the time and work required to rehabilitate it. In my experience, getting a domain like tecgab.com back on track turned out to be more hassle than it was worth.
Solution? Register a domain name that has never been used. Even a random string of letters that’s easy to memorize but has no prior history will serve you better. In today’s digital landscape, the domain name itself as a keyword base is no longer crucial—it’s the domain’s history that matters most.