< img src =" https://cdn.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Screen-Shot-2014-04-21-at-11.22.13-PM.png" > Advertisement Matt Cutts, Google’s head of search spam, responds to a concern about acquiring domains in his newest Web designer Help video where a user composes in to ask:
How can we analyze to see if a domain (purchased from a registrar) was previously in trouble with Google? I just recently purchased, and unbeknownst to me the domain isn’t being indexed and I have in fact needed to do a reconsideration request. How could I have prevented?
Matt offers a couple of rules of thumb to check to ensure you’re not buying a domain that spammers have actually burnt to the ground. Primary is to do a search for the domain by typing the command “website: domain.com” into the Google search bar. If there are no results at all for that domain, you require to take that as a quite bad sign.The next thing
you need to do is simply look for the domain name. By doing this you can find more about the track record of the domain. For instance, you may find individuals talking adversely about that domain and discover that it has a history of black hat practices.Another suggestion
Matt provides is to go to Archive.org and search for the domain. The archive will show you what previous variations of the site appeared like. By seeing what the website used to look like you can get a reputable idea if the domain has a history of spamming. If that winds up applying, Matt suggests not buying that domain due to the fact that you will end up having to dig yourself out of a hole established by the previous owner.Advertisement Continue Reading Below If you’re considering buying a domain straight from the previous owner, ask if
you can see the analytics reports to get an idea of what the traffic patterns resembled. If you see a sharp drop in traffic, Matt recommends preventing that domain. That kind of traffic pattern might be an indicator the site was struck with a penalty.If you purchase the domain just to discover it was connected with some dubious activity after the fact, Matt states you can do a reconsideration demand in which case you would wish to
disavow all links pointing to that domain prior to submitting the request.To hear Matt’s total action in his own words, please see the video listed below: Advertisement Continue Reading Below Category
