Expired domains are a huge part of the industry these days and it doesn’t really matter whether you’re an investor or developer. Both types of online businesses use them and finding good expired domains for reasonable price has become more and more difficult. Aside from potentially bidding on expired domain names through companies like DropCatch or NameJet, your only other option for getting them at a reasonable rate is to either drop catch them or try and acquire them from expired domain marketplaces such as GoDaddy Closeouts or DynaDot Expired Auctions. In this article I’m going to focus on GoDaddy Closeout domains and walk you through the steps of finding and registering them.
Before I continue it’s worth noting that not only will you need a GoDaddy account to purchase Closeout domains, but you’ll also need access to GoDaddy Auctions which costs $4.99 per year. This can be added to your bill when making your first Closeouts purchase and with the large number of domains passing through GoDaddy expired auctions and closeouts each year, it won’t be too difficult to get your $5 worth over the entire year.
Now, to begin searching and finding good Closeout domains you’ll need to have an account with ExpiredDomains.net. You can Create an Account or Login to get started.
Once you’re logged into the Expired Domains website click the Marketplace Domains tab at the very top, followed by GD Closeouts. This is where you’ll see a large list of all domains currently available to purchase. NOTE: You’ll notice different prices on the right hand side ranging from $5 to $11. When domains first enter the Closeouts they are priced at $11 + Standard Registration Fee. Each day they go without being purchased the price drops $1, all the way down till it reaches $5. After they’ve reached $5 they will be pulled from Closeouts and make their way through the drop cycle. This means domains priced at $11 are the newest while those at $5 have been in Closeouts the longest.
Next, near the top find and click the red “Show Filter” link. From here you’ll be able to narrow down your search by extension, length, word count, domain age, SEO metrics, and several other options. Once you’ve found a domain you wish to purchase simply click the “Buy Now” link and you’ll be redirected to GoDaddy.
What’s Good About GoDaddy Closeouts?
Buying expired domains through GoDaddy Closeouts offers several perks. First, there is no bidding process. Once you purchase the domain the previous owner will still have a small period of time where they can come in and renew. If they do, the domain will be removed from your account and you will be fully refunded. However, a good portion of the time when I’ve purchase a domain name on Closeouts the previous owner did not renew. Secondly, the domains initial registration date will not change (this can be important for those doing SEO). If the domain was initially registered in 2001 and it drops and is then registered again – the WhoIs will now show the new year it was registered in. If the domain expires and is bought through GoDaddy Closeouts the WhoIs will still show 2001 as the initial registration year. These are just a few of the reasons every domainer should be looking at the GoDaddy Closeout lists on a regular basis. I’ve found and sold some great domains purchased through there for less than $20/each!
