We evaluate every website against the same seven checks: index status, organic traffic, authority links, brand rankings, business history, transferability and risk. A site that passes them gets an offer. A site that falls just short gets a borderline answer that names exactly what is missing. A site that is clearly not a fit gets a no, with the reason. This page describes each check and its honest limits. How we price a site is explained on the call.
What are the seven checks?
| Check | What we look at | What we hope to see |
|---|---|---|
| Index status | A site: search on Google | Pages from the domain still appear |
| Organic traffic | Ahrefs estimate, Search Console if available | At least 500 monthly organic visits |
| Authority links | Who links to the site, and from which pages | At least two or three strong links |
| Brand rankings | Searches for the business name and close variants | The site still ranks for some of them |
| Business history | Archived versions, press, records | It was a real, trading business |
| Transferability | Who controls the domain and hosting | The owner can transfer it, no disputes |
| Risk | Security, warnings, past problems | No current hack, penalty or malware |
1. Is the site still indexed?
We start with a site: search (type site:yourdomain.com into Google). If pages from the domain appear, Google still holds them in its index and can show them to people. If nothing appears, there is little left for anyone to look after, whatever the other numbers say. Indexation is the first gate because every other signal depends on it.
2. How much organic traffic does it get?
We look at the organic traffic estimate in Ahrefs, which Ahrefs describes as an estimation of how many clicks from Google a site gets each month. Our starting point is at least 500 monthly organic visits. Where the owner can give us access to Search Console, we compare the estimate with real clicks, because the real data wins when the two disagree. The guide on reading Ahrefs numbers if you are not an SEO explains what each figure means.
3. Does it have strong authority links?
We want at least two or three strong authority links: links from respected sites that chose to mention the business, such as a newspaper article, a university page, an industry association, a supplier or a local government listing. These are evidence of the trust a real business earned while it was trading. We read the linking pages themselves rather than relying on a single score, since one genuine article from a known publication tells us more than a long list of small directory entries. What counts as a strong authority link goes into detail.
4. Does the brand still rank?
We search for the business name and a few close variants. If the old site still appears for its own name, people still look for it and Google still connects the name to the domain. A brand that still ranks for its own branded search is a sign the reputation outlived the business, which the guide on why a brand that still ranks is worth more explores.
5. Was it a real business?
We check that the website belonged to a business that actually traded: a store that shipped products, an app people used, a clinic that saw patients, a publication with real reporters. Archived copies in the Wayback Machine, old press coverage and the content itself usually make this clear quickly. Hobby or personal blogs with no business behind them, and sites built only to carry ads, are not what we look for.
6. Can the owner transfer it?
The person or company that owns the domain must be able to transfer it, with no dispute from a cofounder, an agency, a creditor or an estate. We ask who is the registrant on record, which registrar holds the domain and whether anyone else has a claim. If the company is insolvent or the owner has died, the right to sell may sit with someone else; that is a legal question for a qualified lawyer, and nothing on this page is legal advice.
7. What risks does the site carry?
We look for signs of trouble that would follow the site to anyone who takes it on: current hacks or injected pages, malware warnings, a manual action in Search Console, or a history of the domain having been dropped and re-registered. A problem that was fixed long ago is not automatically disqualifying. A problem that is live today has to be resolved first.
What are the three outcomes?
Every review ends in one of three answers, and we tell you which one.
- Offer. The site meets the minimums. We propose terms: lease-to-own, roughly $300 to $500 a month per site paid until the agreed price is paid in full, or an outright cash purchase for the right asset, or a choice between the two. The monthly route pays a higher total than the cash offer. Terms are set out in a written agreement before any transfer.
- Borderline. The site falls short on one point, for example traffic just under the line or only one strong link we can verify. We explain what is missing and, where it helps, what evidence would change the picture, such as Search Console data showing more real clicks than the estimate.
- Not a fit. The site falls short on several points, or it is not the website of a real business. We say so and explain why, so you can decide what to do next with a clearer view of the asset.
What are the limits of these checks?
Two limits matter most, and we would rather you hear them from us.
First, third-party traffic numbers are estimates. Ahrefs says its data is just an estimate and cannot be treated as the actual search traffic of a website. A site with an estimate of 400 can have more real visits, and one estimated at 900 can have fewer. This is why we ask for Search Console when we can.
Second, Search Console only goes back so far. Its performance report offers the last 16 months of data, so if you closed the business a while ago, export what you have now. The guide on proving traffic with Search Console shows how.
What to do next
- Run the free website value check to see roughly where your site stands against these checks.
- Export your Search Console data and list the best articles or pages that link to your site.
- Send us your site for a free valuation and we will come back with one of the three outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum traffic you look for in a website?
We look for at least 500 monthly organic visits as estimated by Ahrefs. That figure is a starting point, not a cutoff applied blindly, because Ahrefs traffic is an estimate and can be wrong in either direction. If you have Search Console access, real click data from the last 16 months usually settles the question better than any third-party number.
Do you tell me how you price a website?
How we price a site is explained on the call, once we have looked at it. This page describes what we check and the three outcomes a review can end in. Pricing depends on the specific site, and lease-to-own offers are roughly $300 to $500 a month per site, paid until the agreed price is paid in full.
What if my website was hacked or penalized in the past?
A past problem that has been fixed is not automatically a no. We check whether the site is clean today, whether Google still indexes its pages normally and whether the issue left visible damage such as injected pages or warnings. A site that is currently hacked, serving malware or penalized is not something we take on until it is resolved.
Can I lease a website if I do not control the domain?
Not until the control question is sorted out. We need the person or company that legally owns the domain to agree to the deal and to be able to transfer it, with no dispute from a former cofounder, agency or creditor. If an agency or a former cofounder holds the registrar account, getting access is the first step, and we can explain what to ask for.
How long does an evaluation take?
A first look is quick, because most of the checks use public information such as Google results, Ahrefs estimates and archived versions of the site. If the site looks promising, we ask for a few things only you can provide, such as Search Console access and proof of who owns the domain, and then come back with one of the three outcomes.
Find out what your website is worth before it expires.
Send us the site in about a minute. We check index status, organic traffic, authority links and history, then come back with a cash offer, a monthly lease-to-own option, or a plain no.
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