How to Check Backlinks Before Buying an Expired Domain
A backlink profile is not a single number. Before buying a domain for its link history, inspect the links that create the score.
Referring domains beat raw backlink totals
Thousands of links from one template or sitewide footer can inflate counts without creating diversified authority. Start by looking at unique referring domains and then inspect the best individual pages.
Read anchors in context
Brand and natural topical anchors usually tell a coherent story. Repetitive money anchors, foreign-language spam or anchors unrelated to the archived topic can indicate manipulation or compromise.
Check whether links still exist
Historical SEO data may include links that have disappeared. Open the referring pages where possible. A candidate should be valued on evidence that survives now, not only on old counts.
Map destination URLs
Record which old pages attracted the best links. If the site is rebuilt, preserving useful information architecture is more defensible than automatically redirecting every historical URL to one commercial page.
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