The SEO Shortcut You're Probably Ignoring: Expired Domains That Still Rank

I’ve been doing SEO for nearly a decade, and I’ve seen the same strategies play out again and again: on-page optimization, link building, technical audits... rinse and repeat.

But there’s one strategy I rarely hear people talk about, even though it works like magic when done right — using expired domains that still show up in Google and still get traffic.

Not just any expired domains. I'm talking about domains that were once linked in high-traffic content, never updated, and are now just sitting there — expired and unclaimed. In some cases, these domains are still being clicked on right now.

Let me walk you through why it works, how I used to do it the hard way, and how a tool called Clicky Leaks makes this not only possible, but efficient.

Why Expired Domains Still Work in 2025

Once a domain expires, most people assume it’s done for. But that’s often not the case.

Here’s what actually happens:

Google might still index the old pages
Links to that domain still exist in content people are watching or reading
People still click those links — and instead of getting value, they land on a dead page

That’s a traffic opportunity sitting in plain sight.

If you register that domain, you can point it anywhere — your site, a landing page, even rebuild the original content. You effectively intercept real-world attention that hasn't been redirected yet.

What Most Expired Domain Tools Get Wrong

Tools like ExpiredDomains.net or auction platforms give you volume, but not context.

They don’t show you:

Where that domain was actually linked
Whether people are still seeing or clicking it
What kind of content referred to it
Whether the domain is available to register right now

That’s what makes Clicky Leaks different. It focuses only on domains that are:

Still linked in YouTube video descriptions
Expired and available
From videos with public view counts and relevance
Updated daily so you’re not digging through old junk

How I Used to Do It (Manually)

Before Clicky Leaks, my process was a patchwork of:

Exporting expired domain lists
Checking WHOIS data manually
Searching Google for any mention of the domain
Checking archive.org to see what the domain used to be
Searching YouTube to see if any videos linked to it
Trying to piece together if anyone still cared about it

It was slow, inconsistent, and often a waste of time. I missed good domains just because someone else moved faster.

How Clicky Leaks Changed the Game

Clicky Leaks automates the best part of the process: finding expired domains that are still linked from high-traffic YouTube videos.

It checks for:

Domains that are expired and available
YouTube videos that still link to them in the description
Public view counts (so you can prioritize bigger traffic opportunities)
Daily updates, so you always have fresh data to work with

Instead of spending hours trying to validate whether a domain is worth anything, I log in, scan the list, and make decisions in minutes.

How I Evaluate Expired Domains

Here’s my personal checklist for deciding whether a domain is worth picking up:

1. View Count of Referring YouTube Video

If the video linking to the domain has more than 10,000 views and is still relevant, I’m interested.

2. Age and Activity of the Video

A video uploaded within the last 3 years and still getting comments is a green flag.

3. Relevance to My Niche

The domain has to align with the client or topic I want to target. I’m not grabbing unrelated stuff just because it’s available.

4. Wayback Machine Check

I use archive.org to see what the domain was previously used for. If it was a decent blog, tool, or brand — perfect. If it was spam or junk, I skip it.

5. Is It Indexed?

A quick site:domain.com search in Google tells me if there’s still indexation value.

3 Domains I Picked Up Recently

Here are three domains I found with Clicky Leaks and what I did with them:

1. cryptosecuritychecklist.com

Linked from a YouTube tutorial on cold wallets
The video had 145,000 views
I rebuilt a short checklist page with affiliate links to hardware wallets
It gets about 20–30 clicks a day without any SEO or ads

2. focusboostapp.net

Linked in a productivity app roundup video
I redirected it to a SaaS client’s lead gen page
Within a week, they saw 18 conversions directly from that redirect

3. minimalmealprep.org

Still linked in a meal prep channel’s older video
I used it to build a simple recipe site for list building
Monetized with email opt-ins + affiliate offers

What You Can Do With These Domains

You don’t need to build a giant site. Even one good expired domain can give you leverage. Here’s what I recommend:

301 Redirect to a landing page or relevant blog post
Rebuild the content using archive snapshots and repurpose it
Create a microsite to rank for specific keywords
Use it for retargeting or as a lead-gen front end

Mistakes to Avoid

Grabbing every expired domain you see (not all of them get traffic)
Ignoring the video source — some videos are dead too
Forgetting to check the domain’s previous use (it matters for trust)
Using it for irrelevant content (Google will see through it)

Final Thoughts

The world of expired domains isn’t dead — it’s just gotten smarter.

If you're only looking at backlinks and auctions, you’re missing the real opportunities. People are still clicking links in content every day — but no one is checking whether those links still work.

Clicky Leaks checks. And if you’re in SEO, you should too.

👉 Try Clicky Leaks today

Written by Lisa Grant, SEO strategist helping SaaS and service businesses grow organic traffic through smart shortcuts and overlooked tactics.

The SEO Shortcut You’re Probably Ignoring: Expired Domains That Still Rank