MY WORD IS MY BOND Domains Available to Register Lists

These brandable five letter .com domains from my portfolio are for sale. All offers will be considered, so please don't be shy! Please contact me via the email address in the Contact tab to make an offer or click on a domain to make your offer via Sedo:

dvdee.com poffs.com froff.com cuppo.com croof.com fobbi.com snora.com peeba.com ihols.com spagg.com rascl.com venno.com afoam.com zoovo.com sexuc.com bimmo.com twazz.com nytie.com rydaz.com aggle.com gezza.com diroo.com vuzzy.com zurro.com siteu.com zozzo.com claza.com shiss.com meppa.com fibba.com cumix.com

Want more available names? Click here to view my eBay auctions! Lots of four and five letter .com names starting at just $0.99 and with no reserve! New names just added.

More available to register domains can be found here

This web site can also be accessed at: mwimb.com

Buying Five Number .com (NNNNN.com) Domains

Premium numbers (according to 3character.com) are generally regarded as 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9. Lesser high quality numbers are 4 and 6. Lower quality numbers are 0. This is only intended to be a guide and just because a number isn't premium is not necessarily a bad feature as placement and many other factors can be just as important. I'll share with you what I've learned so far. Please note that this is a work in progress and will be updated as I gain more experience with numeric domains.

Five numbers can form zip codes both in the US and Europe. Ever watch Beverly Hills 90210? I have not yet been able to find any US zip code with 5k plus population in .com for reg. fee, let alone one of the monsters like the example given. Many decent US zip codes with 10k plus population I have checked were also taken in .net and other extensions.

Many UK dialling codes (even mobile) are five digits in length and start with a 0. For example, the dialling code for Oxford is 01865. Some of these I have found are already taken in .co.uk (like the example in today's available domains list!).

Look also for numbers which spell out words and names with potential commercial appeal on a cell phone keypad. 2 corresponds with the letters A, B and C, 3 with D, E and F and so on. Numbers are usually quicker to access on a mobile as they require less key presses than a domain with letters of the same length. Note that there are no letters on the keypad for the numbers 0 and 1. Here is an example where a 1 is certainly not premium!

Always check for leet style numbers which look like words. 8's look like B's, 0's resemble O's, 4's look like A's, 3's resemble E's and so on. Anything which makes a number more memorable can make it more valuable. Reminds me of typing 8008135 on my school calculator!

Domains starting with 1 or 2 tend to have more Google search results than domains starting with higher numbers. Low five digit numbers can even be door numbers on some particularly long US streets! That in itself is not a good enough reason for me to buy though but it all helps. Numeric domains starting with 1 are certainly popular.

Numbers starting with 0 are generally less desirable as a similar four number domain of the same value will be in existence and some consider that they just look plain ugly. For example 05281.com VS 5281.com This does not apply if the 0 or 0's make up part of a telephone number, zip code or some other memorable string of numbers.

Round numbers, such as 75000 are valuable and most, if not all, are backordered. Even quite modest looking numbers ending with -00, such as 42800 are collectible and either backordered or picked up with drop catchers. I would register any of these that I came across. Note again that 0's in these instances are not a bad feature. In fact, 'bad' becomes good.

Numeric domains are very popular in China and other Asian countries since numbers (0-9) have meaning in almost every language whereas letters (A-Z) do not. In China, the letter 8 is widely considered as lucky since it sounds like 'profit.' The number 4 is usually considered unlucky as it sounds similar to 'death.' The number 6 can also be considered unlucky due to 666 (sign of the devil). Double and triple numbers are desirable since they can sound pleasing when pronounced.

Full sequences, such as 56789.com or 65432.com would be valuable. Again, it's the memorability factor. Much easier to remember than a seemingly random string of numbers. Even part sequences are easier to remember although sadly don't share the same value. There's a few of them in today's list!

Numbers with triple repeating digits such as 24449.com and 19333.com are currently all backordered, picked up with drop catchers or otherwise snaffled very quickly from taster's drop. I imagine that these would be worth about 2 x reg. fee (even with 4's) in current market conditions. Note that this does not presently apply to numbers simply containing three of the same digit, for example 34339.com and 44748.com However, add four of the same number, for example 44474.com and I would register them every time. These are all backordered or otherwise caught from the drop. I have seen sales of these in the $3x range and above. Not quite enough for the $59 minimum backorder fee at most venues, but certainly worth a shot with a cheaper backorder or private catcher. The same goes for any five number .com numeric containing only two different digits, for example 35335.com Four of the same number in a row, for example 33338.com and 28888.com and they can be even more desirable. Try getting one of those for reg. fee! Five of the same number and you'd likely need low $x,xxx. There are only ten of those in existence (00000-99999). People love rare items that also look pretty!

I'm not saying that all five number .com domains have value like their 2,3 and 4 number counterparts which have current minimum values of high $xx,xxx, $7,xxx and $350 respectively in my opinion. There are currently lots of numbers I would deem as average for sale at the forums from $1 (immediate renewal required) to reg. fee with no takers. However, if you apply some of these principles, you might just find a real gem and have some fun along the way. Happy searching! MC 3rd December 2008. Last updated on 14th December 2008.

Buying expired domains with Google PageRank

The following is based on my personal experience of this subject. Please contact me to report any inaccuracies or to suggest improvements.

Google PageRank is Google's proprietary formula of determining the importance of a web page. Pages with higher PR will generally rank more highly in the index for their keywords than those with lower PR. In short, those pages are deemed to have more authority for their keywords than pages with lesser PR. Pages that are indexed in Google range from PR0 to PR10 (the highest).

PR is largely determined by the quantity and quantity of backlinks that point to the domain. Quality is just as important as quantity, since Google gives weight to relevant backlinks from sites with a similar subject matter. It is also important to note that Google is in the process of factoring out purchased links from the equation.

The best way to obtain and increase PageRank is to start by building a good quality web site with rich content that is updated regularly. It is vitally important to gain as many good quality links as possible. It is important to be selective to whom you link back to as you will generally get more of a PR boost from one way (non reciprocal) links. Links from pages with a higher PR will generally boost PR more than those from lower ranked pages. This is not intended to be a lesson in Search Engine Optimization. For that, I recommend NamePros.com Unless you are experienced, building links and increasing PR can take time (and money if you employ an SEO company to assist). Is there another way?

Well, yes. There are no guarantees that any domain will hold or increase its PageRank, even one that's developed and has established content. Expired domains that already have PR may be a way to get a head start, but this is risky and there are many things to consider.

Is the PageRank real? I have seen many examples of unscrupulous sellers exploiting inexperienced domain buyers when advertising these domains for sale. Some sellers misrepresent their domain names and manipulate screenshots and the facts to their advantage. As yet, Google has not laid down a 100% sure way to validate PageRank; which makes it even more difficult for the buyer to know what they are getting.

I used to publish regular lists of expired and available to register domains with Google PR here. I will now share my methods to help prevent you from being burned.

Firstly, check the validity of the PR. It is not just a question of determining whether a domain has PR, but whether it is real or faked (spoofed). It is easy to get PR by redirecting a domain to one that has the real PR. The redirected domain will inherit the PR of the URL it is forwarded to but not the backlinks. The PR will therefore be completely fake. A domain with fake PR and no backlinks will generally rank poorly, if at all.

How to tell? I use the fake PageRank checker at sem-faq.com Another reputable checker can be found at seologs.com These checkers determine the PR (from 0 to 10) and also whether it is fake. Results may vary from checker to checker, and whether the domain is checked with the www. (e.g. www.google.com) and without (google.com). Only if the PR displays as VALID, normally a green colour, proceed to the next stage of checking. Be careful where you check as some websites harvest the search results and use them to register any domains with high, valid PR that are available. Please ensure that you use a fake PageRank checker and not just a general PR checker. A general checker may not display whether the PR is real or fake.

Now check the backlinks. Expired domains with PR are significantly more likely to hold their PR if they have abundant, good quality backlinks that are relevant to the content you want to publish. Most webmasters, except the lazy variety, will eventually remove backlinks if the domain is parked or the content is not relevant anymore. To check for backlinks, I use the backlinks checker at seologs.com and/or iwebtool.com as I have found them to be the most reliable and accurate. iwebtool is particularly useful as it displays the PR of all inbound links. Generally, the more backlinks from the more unique URL's the better.

If your domain has passed all these tests, you should grab it right? Wrong! There is one last check that must be used to determine the validity of PR.

Type: info:Domain into Google search (replace, 'Domain' with your domain, including extension but without the www.). If there is at least one EXACT result in the index WITHOUT a redirect to a different domain or extension, the PR is probably valid. Pay particular attention to the extension as many checkers are fooled by similar looking Country Code extensions such as .com.ar when the real PR is held by .com

Please remember that expired domains with PR are significantly more likely to lose some or all of their PR than domains with established websites and content. Some people suggest that the PR of all expired domains is automatically reset to zero at the next Google PR update. In my experience, this is not always the case.

I hope this has helped you to avoid the many pitfalls associated with buying an expired domain with PR.

Now go to eBay and check the validity of domains offered for sale with PR. Whilst some of the domains might be valid, a good many are not. I think you are in for quite a surprise. MC 25th October 2007.

C--C.com (double hyphen) domains

I have experienced increased interest in my small portfolio recently. C--C.com names are two single characters (letter or number) separated by two hyphens in a row.

These domains carry a greater element of risk than with more conventional types. Many domainers don't even like a single hyphen and many end-users do not know that two hyphens in a row are possible.

There are some distinct advantages however. CC.com domains, especially LL and NN domains (where L is any letter and N is any number) are reaching and breaching the dizzy heights of $xxx,xxx now.

L-L and N-N.com domains have a minimum wholesale price of $1,450 and $850 respectively (as published at 3character.com). According to the website, any domains selling for less than these prices represent a strong buy in current market conditions. Domains with all premium characters, e.g. G-R.com typically sell for much more.

L--L.com and N--N.com domains present a great opportunity to the end-user that requires two letters or numbers but without the budget for one of the more conventional types of domain. Some end-users have come up with some pretty inventive ways of dealing with the double hyphen or even using it to their advantage. Take a look at these examples:

0--m.com
o--o.net (OK it's a .net but you get the idea...)

A larger holder of these names has several linked together:

c--n.com

The prize for best developed (and most inventive) goes to:

a--i.com

I have personally sold three domains of this type this year for a good return on investment that will cover the renewal fees for the rest of my holding for at least three years. I am actively scanning for all premium L--L combinations but, apart from a large drop a few months ago, they seldom become available as they are so rare. Whilst most domainers don't like them, this niche can provide good returns, especially if you focus on all premium character L--L.com, N--N.com or L--N or N--L domains with meaning and know how to effectively market them to end-users.

Please contact me if you would like to view my portfolio. MC 21st October 2007.

Disclaimer: Whilst the information provided has been checked for accuracy at the time of posting, I cannot be held liable for any errors that may occur. Metrics may vary depending on where they are checked and especially with time. The fact that a domain is listed here as available or for sale does not mean it is a good investment. You should always do your due diligence before purchasing a domain.

Please let me know if you register any. I appreciate your feedback and it motivates me to produce new lists.