It happens that a few weeks ago, I discovered that I had a domain name I’d registered with Go Daddy back in 2005 when I wanted to start a photography business. The photography business never got off the ground, but the domain is still available to me and is still valid through 2013. So, I figured I should do something with it – an aged domain is too good to waste. Or is it?

Just what is An Aged Domain?

In essence, an aged domain is one that’s been around for a while. If for example I were to go online and register thisgreatdomainthatijustfound.com, then that domain name would show up under ICANN as having just been registered. An aged domain, like the domain I just learned I have is quite simply one that ICANN lists as having been registered for a while.

Why it Matters

Theoretically at least, an aged domain has quite a bit of value to it, because the domain has been around for a while. Google prefers domains that have been around for a while, especially if they’ve had a site up which has been active all that time because it shows that this is an active and growing part of the Internet. However, in my case, this domain had been basically inactive with a Go Daddy parking page on it for the past few years.

The Reality

Sadly, while I will likely still try to build a site on my domain, if for no other reason than that I hope I might be able to flip it to someone else after six months or a year of working on, from my research, it turns out that my domain is worth about as much as a brand new domain.

Why?

Now I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves why that’s the case. After all, the conventional wisdom is that aged domains are worth so much more than brand new ones. Well, that’s true, but not directly because of the age of the domain.

It’s a Reputation Thing

The thing is, an aged domain is valuable if it’s had a website up on it and if you’re going to be putting up the same or similar material to what has always been there. In this case, you benefit from the links that have already been built up and from the PR rank it has achieved, if any exists.
However, the simple fact of the domain being aged (if it has no PR rank and no links) is pretty much meaningless.

When it Pays to Buy Anyway

Now, that’s not to say that there are no reasons to buy a domain which is aged. First, if you have the chance to buy a generic domain name which is based on a popular keyword (for example, if makemoneyonline.com was available for a reasonable price), then it may well be worth it just for being an exact match domain name. It’s just not worth much as far as being aged…