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Just what IS an "expired domain"?

An expired domain name is one that was used before, but not renewed when it came time to pay for another year. (You don't really "own" a domain name; you lease the rights to use it, by registering it at a domain name registrar like Godaddy*com or Namecheap*com.)

Say you buy SmithPlumbing*com, and you decide you don't want to use that domain name anymore. Maybe you are going out of business. Maybe you changed your business name. Maybe you are rebranding.

If you let the registration expire, then anyone else can buy that domain name and use it however they want (well, unless it contains a trademarked term, like Disney or Nike.)

Why might someone want to buy a "used" domain?

Because it there may be lots of backlinks to that domain (backlinks don't go away automatically).

If there are backlinks, there may be people who click on them... and visit the site.

So using a domain name that already has relevant, reputable backlinks to it is a head-start for you, in the search engines, as far as Google rank and traffic.

Also, domain names have value for other reasons. Remember, they're unique - two businesses can't use the exact same domain (though they may use a different domain extension, like yourname*com or yourname*net.)

Therefore, domain names become more valuable if:

~ they are .com (the most popular domain name extension);

~ if they are short;

~ if they are easy to spell or remember;

~ if they contain popular search terms

For example, I own BusinessCardDesign*com.

That is a very valuable domain name, whether or not there's a developed site on it. (And there is. And the domain, with or without content, is for sale.)

Why? Because there are more than 33,000 monthly searches for "business card design." That's proof of high demand, and this domain name EXACTLY matches what the searcher is looking for - odds are, they'd click on a link to that site, given the option, right?

I own many expired domains and often sell them. I develop many of them and get them approved in Google News, to increase their value. (I offer News Approval as a service, and have a how-to course on building and monetizing a Google News site .)

If you're ever starting a new site and want help finding an expired domain name to give you that jumpstart in Google, let me know!