{"id":2445,"date":"2024-01-23T16:39:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T16:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/the-smart-investors-guide-to-buying-a-website\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T16:39:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T16:39:15","slug":"the-smart-investors-guide-to-buying-a-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/the-smart-investors-guide-to-buying-a-website\/","title":{"rendered":"The Smart Investor&#8217;s Guide to Buying a Website"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Buying a website can help you reach a new audience, get a foothold in a new market, expand your business online, or earn \u201cpassive\u201d income.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a similar, yet simpler, process compared to merging or acquiring an existing business. But, just like with a business acquisition, not all website purchases come\u00a0equal.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, we share tips on everything you need to know to buy your first website with confidence, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Where you can find available websites to\u00a0buy<\/li>\n<li>The process for buying a website<\/li>\n<li>Essential due diligence tips to determine if a website is a good investment<\/li>\n<li>Common concerns and how to overcome them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is no one-size-fits-all approach to buying a website or determining what a good investment will be. Following these steps will help you identify if a site is right for you or\u00a0not.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Think of why you\u2019re buying a website to begin\u00a0with\" data-section=\"think-of-why-youre-buying-a-website-to-begin\u00a0with\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_5itpqcuv99pr\"\/>1. Think of <em>why<\/em> you\u2019re buying a website to begin\u00a0with<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Knowing what your goals are with your website acquisition influences the entire process. Different types of websites are better suited to achieving different goals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re seeking to reach a new audience<\/strong>, look for digital businesses with established audiences. For example, in 2021 Hubspot acquired media startup <a href=\"https:\/\/thehustle.co\/\">The Hustle<\/a> and exposed its brand to new audiences in the startup and investing communities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you want to expand your reach online<\/strong>, consider competing websites or those in adjacent spaces. For example, in 2016, a blog about car advice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/innovation\/motoring\/car-advice-website-started-by-a-21yearold-in-his-parents-spare-bedroom-has-sold-for-35-million\/news-story\/6058fca7b1987400abdb58ed2007e930#:~:text=A%20BLOG%20about%20cars%20%E2%80%94%20started,of%20%2415%20million%20a%20year.\">sold for over $35 million<\/a> to an Australian news publication seeking to expand its online reach in the automotive industry, even though it already had an automotive media publication under its\u00a0wing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019d like to earn more passive income<\/strong>, look for websites already earning a stable monthly income. Marketplaces and brokerages show earning reports of websites available for sale and in some cases, you can also continue to work with the existing team so there\u2019s less work on your shoulders with managing the\u00a0asset.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1406\" height=\"639\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-websites-earnings-over-time.png\" alt=\"Example of a website's earnings over time\" class=\"wp-image-171179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-websites-earnings-over-time.png 1406w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-websites-earnings-over-time-680x309.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-websites-earnings-over-time-768x349.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1406px) 100vw, 1406px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Example of a website\u2019s earnings over\u00a0time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Overall, the best investments are the ones you have the skills to grow and manage. For instance, don\u2019t buy a media publication if you have little experience growing a blog. Likewise, if you\u2019ve never worked in eCommerce, don\u2019t go all in on an online store, dropshipping or any kind of website that deals with physical products.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Find potential websites to\u00a0buy\" data-section=\"find-potential-websites-to\u00a0buy\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_g80o89kn5g8p\"\/>2. Find potential websites to\u00a0buy<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The most common places to buy websites are website marketplaces and brokerages, though you can also do your own outreach and set up a private deal.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_fssvl01ituy9\"\/>Website marketplaces<\/h3>\n<p>Marketplaces, like <a href=\"https:\/\/flippa.com\/websites\">Flippa<\/a>, allow individual sellers to list their websites for sale and to manage the negotiations and asset handover on their\u00a0own.<\/p>\n<p>You can typically find very low-cost websites for sale on marketplaces, making them a great place to start for micro-acquisitions. You can buy anything from low-risk starter sites for three figures to seasoned websites earning thousands per month in passive income.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is entirely on your shoulders to do thorough due diligence and make sure you\u2019re not buying a lemon since most marketplaces do very little verification on each listing.<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-271\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-271 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-full\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\">Pros<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\">Cons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Low-risk starter sites available<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">No verification from the marketplace<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Many options to choose from<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Little support available<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Deal directly with the seller<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Not all sellers are trustworthy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_st9n4zqmc61x\"\/>Brokerages<\/h3>\n<p>Brokerages offer a more boutique experience when buying a website and are a great place for beginners with some extra cash saved up due to the extra support you can receive.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of listing every website available to buy, brokerages typically have curated lists of websites their internal teams have verified. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/empireflippers.com\/\">Empire Flippers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/feinternational.com\/\">FE International<\/a> are two brokerages selling different kinds of online businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Typically brokerages deal with larger transactions and you will be hard-pressed to find available websites for sale in the three or four-figure ranges so it\u2019s only advisable to search here if these deals are well within your financial means.<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-272\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-272 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-full\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\">Pros<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\">Cons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Receive direct support from your broker<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Websites tend to be more costly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Tailored experience<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">You may need to pay a brokerage fee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Choose from verified websites<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\"\/><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_a443g0as65ti\"\/>Private deals<\/h3>\n<p>If you have some experience with negotiating business deals, you can put those skills to work and secure private website buying deals.<\/p>\n<p>Arguably, the best sites to acquire are the ones people don\u2019t want to sell. Plus, you don\u2019t have to worry about outbidding others to acquire the\u00a0site.<\/p>\n<p>To find such websites, enter a well-known site in your niche into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> and navigate to the <strong>Organic Competitors<\/strong> report. Here you\u2019ll see up to 20 websites performing well in the\u00a0niche:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"884\" height=\"869\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report.png\" alt=\"Example of Ahrefs' Organic Competitors report\" class=\"wp-image-171180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report.png 884w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report-432x425.png 432w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report-768x755.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"884\" height=\"869\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report.png\" alt=\"Example of Ahrefs' Organic Competitors report\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report.png 884w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report-432x425.png 432w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-organic-competitors-report-768x755.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Alternatively, if you don\u2019t know any sites in your niche, try this method instead:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Enter a handful of keywords that represent your\u00a0niche<\/li>\n<li>Go to the <strong>Traffic share by domain<\/strong> report<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1582\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report.png\" alt=\"How to use Ahrefs' Traffic Share by Domain report to find top websites\" class=\"wp-image-171181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report.png 1582w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-680x359.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-1536x812.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1582px) 100vw, 1582px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1582\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report.png\" alt=\"How to use Ahrefs' Traffic Share by Domain report to find top websites\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report.png 1582w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-680x359.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/how-to-use-ahrefs-traffic-share-by-domain-report-1536x812.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1582px) 100vw, 1582px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>This will show you the websites getting the most estimated organic search traffic from those keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, you can then choose sites to investigate further based on metrics like how much traffic they\u2019re getting or how much they\u2019ve grown over a specific time period.<\/p>\n<p>If you like any of them, reach out to them privately to negotiate a\u00a0sale.<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-273\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-273 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-full\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\">Pros<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\">Cons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">No competition to outbid you<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Requires existing negotiating skills<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Find higher quality websites<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Needs extra legwork to find great\u00a0deals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Negotiate your terms more comfortably<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\"\/><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Audit the websites that seem interesting\" data-section=\"audit-the-websites-that-seem-interesting\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_6yxv1k3l94kh\"\/>3. Audit the websites that seem interesting<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>No matter how you\u2019re looking for available websites to buy, you\u2019ll need to audit each and every one to weed out the lemons from the goldmines.<\/p>\n<p>Two essential checks to perform are for a website\u2019s traffic and its backlink profile. Here\u2019s the process in a nutshell:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Enter the site in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Check out the Performance graph in the \u201cOverview\u201d report<\/li>\n<li>Filter for referring domains and organic traffic for a TL;DR\u00a0view<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1266\" height=\"1136\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph.png\" alt=\"Filtering Ahrefs' Site Explorer performance graph by referring domains and organic traffic\" class=\"wp-image-171182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph.png 1266w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph-474x425.png 474w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph-768x689.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1266px) 100vw, 1266px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1266\" height=\"1136\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph.png\" alt=\"Filtering Ahrefs' Site Explorer performance graph by referring domains and organic traffic\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph.png 1266w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph-474x425.png 474w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filtering-ahrefs-site-explorer-performance-graph-768x689.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1266px) 100vw, 1266px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Look for any big drops in traffic or any unnatural-looking spikes in referring domains. Both of these can signal either declining performance overall or some shady things going on in the background.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you notice a lot of links added in a short period of time, the seller may have purchased links in bulk and there is a risk of the website receiving penalties from Google in future.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"797\" height=\"376\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains.png\" alt=\"Example of an abnormal spike in referring domains\" class=\"wp-image-171183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains.png 797w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains-680x321.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains-768x362.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"797\" height=\"376\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains.png\" alt=\"Example of an abnormal spike in referring domains\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains.png 797w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains-680x321.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-an-abnormal-spike-in-referring-domains-768x362.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can then take a closer look at a site\u2019s link profile in the <strong>Backlinks<\/strong> report. Exclude \u201cBest links\u201d to hone in on potentially problematic links.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli.png\" alt=\"Filter for removing best links from Ahrefs' backlink reports\" class=\"wp-image-171184\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli.png 912w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli-680x283.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli-768x320.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"912\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli.png\" alt=\"Filter for removing best links from Ahrefs' backlink reports\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171184\" style=\"width:521px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli.png 912w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli-680x283.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/filter-for-removing-best-links-from-ahrefs-backli-768x320.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Paid links usually use the target keyword as the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/anchor-text\/\">anchor text<\/a> (the clickable part of the link) and come from poor content on low-quality sites, so look out for sites with lots of\u00a0those.<\/p>\n<p>For example, look at this link to a page about sleep\u00a0apnea:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1854\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link.png\" alt=\"Example of a low quality link\" class=\"wp-image-171185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link.png 1854w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-680x136.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-768x154.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-1536x308.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1854px) 100vw, 1854px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1854\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link.png\" alt=\"Example of a low quality link\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link.png 1854w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-680x136.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-768x154.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-a-low-quality-link-1536x308.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1854px) 100vw, 1854px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Based on this data, we can see that\u00a0it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comes from a low authority site that nobody\u2019s ever heard\u00a0of<\/li>\n<li>Comes from a page with zero estimated traffic<\/li>\n<li>Has exact-match anchor text (\u201csleep apnea\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If we look at the referring page itself, we can also see that the content is extremely low quality. The site is plastered in ads and although it\u2019s not visible in the screenshot below (because of all the ads!), it has lots of suspicious outlinks too.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere.jpg\" alt=\"Example of Sleep Healthy Club's page design covered in ads.\" class=\"wp-image-171186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-626x425.jpg 626w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere.jpg\" alt=\"Example of Sleep Healthy Club's page design covered in ads.\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-626x425.jpg 626w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-sleep-healthy-clubs-page-design-covere-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Conclusion? This is almost certainly a paid link. If a large percentage of the links to the site you\u2019re considering look like this, that\u2019s a major red\u00a0flag.<\/p>\n<p>Another of my favorite checks to do at this stage is to look at the Site Structure report to get a feel for the information architecture of the website and the traffic distribution across the content.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1056\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin.png\" alt=\"Example of Ahrefs' Site Structure report showcasing website segments with the most organic traffic\" class=\"wp-image-171187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin.png 1056w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin-680x401.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin-768x452.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1056px) 100vw, 1056px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1056\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin.png\" alt=\"Example of Ahrefs' Site Structure report showcasing website segments with the most organic traffic\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin.png 1056w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin-680x401.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-ahrefs-site-structure-report-showcasin-768x452.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1056px) 100vw, 1056px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Poorly structured websites with decent performance are my favorite kind to work on. Generally, they\u2019re run by people who aren\u2019t the most SEO savvy, but they have built a genuine audience who like what they\u2019re putting out there. Implementing some quick and easy SEO best practices can often see major gains on sites like this in a relatively small timeframe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Evaluate the niche and broader market\" data-section=\"evaluate-the-niche-and-broader-market\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_cu1xgxi9drts\"\/>4. Evaluate the niche and broader market<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To assess the state of the market, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> for the top categories or broad terms and assess the search potential over time. Here are some common patterns you may\u00a0see:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Steady markets are great for consistent, recurring revenue and tend to form the bread and butter foundation of a website\u2019s performance.<\/li>\n<li>Seasonal markets are great for growing your audience and short injections of new revenue but offer inconsistent income.<\/li>\n<li>New and growing markets typically have lower competition levels and offer a great opportunity to become the market leader.<\/li>\n<li>Declining markets offer a great opportunity to revolutionize an outdated way of doing things and to absorb an existing, knowledgeable audience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1684\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them.jpg\" alt=\"Common keyword patterns and how to evaluate them\" class=\"wp-image-171188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-517x425.jpg 517w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-768x632.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-1536x1263.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1684\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them.jpg\" alt=\"Common keyword patterns and how to evaluate them\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-517x425.jpg 517w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-768x632.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/common-keyword-patterns-and-how-to-evaluate-them-1536x1263.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>In short, there are opportunities in every kind of market, though the best ones for you depend on your\u00a0goals.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to understanding the market, you\u2019ll need to also scope out existing competitors in the space and how the website you\u2019re looking at is positioned against them.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Organic Competitors <\/strong>report in Site Explorer will show you the top websites competing for similar keywords and how much bigger or smaller they are compared to the website available for\u00a0sale.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i.png\" alt=\"Example of organic competitors positioning graph in Ahrefs\" class=\"wp-image-171189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i.png 870w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i-680x395.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i-768x447.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i.png\" alt=\"Example of organic competitors positioning graph in Ahrefs\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i.png 870w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i-680x395.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/example-of-organic-competitors-positioning-graph-i-768x447.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Having bigger competitors is not a bad thing. In fact, it could be a sign that the market is lucrative and worth investing in.<\/p>\n<p>However, if the website you\u2019re looking at is currently not very competitive, it will also require more skills and technical knowledge to improve it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Reach out to the seller, ask questions and do due diligence\" data-section=\"reach-out-to-the-seller-ask-questions-and-do-due-diligence\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_mymicvs1j1y\"\/>5. Reach out to the seller, ask questions and do due diligence<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Website due diligence is the process of dotting your i\u2019s and crossing your t\u2019s when evaluating whether a website is a worthwhile investment.<\/p>\n<p>No matter if you\u2019re reaching out to a seller through a marketplace or brokerage or if you\u2019re securing a private deal, this is an essential step of the process.<\/p>\n<p>You can ask the seller to share access with analytics tools and some financial accounts and you can often schedule a video chat to ask more detailed questions about the website.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some questions to consider.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_bn8nxhdfjxvd\"\/>Have you optimized the website for\u00a0SEO?<\/h3>\n<p>If a seller has optimized the site for SEO, it helps to know exactly what they\u2019ve done. You can also learn a great deal about what they tried that worked wonders and what didn\u2019t work as\u00a0well.<\/p>\n<p>If the seller has not done any SEO, that may be ok depending on your goals. Many people don\u2019t know where to start with optimizing a website and this presents a great opportunity for buyers with SEO know-how to take the website to the next\u00a0level.<\/p>\n<p>You can also verify the actual SEO performance of the website using Google Search Console if the seller has set it up. If they haven\u2019t, Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer is a great alternative for estimating overall organic performance.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_52wyhsgaqpm3\"\/>Where does the majority of the traffic come\u00a0from?<\/h3>\n<p>Make sure you check out the different countries and channels the website receives traffic from. Both of these can be assessed in Google Analytics (or similar tools) so make sure to request access from the seller.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, check out the \u201cAcquisition\u201d reports to assess what channels users are coming from and how well SEO, ads and social campaigns may be working.<\/p>\n<p>You should see something like\u00a0this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1052\" height=\"964\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups.png\" alt=\"GA4 acquisition reports showing top channel groups\" class=\"wp-image-171190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups.png 1052w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups-464x425.png 464w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups-768x704.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1052\" height=\"964\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups.png\" alt=\"GA4 acquisition reports showing top channel groups\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups.png 1052w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups-464x425.png 464w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-acquisition-reports-showing-top-channel-groups-768x704.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You should also check out the User Attributes &gt; Demographic Details report to see what countries people are visiting the website from. It will look a little like\u00a0this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1347\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri.png\" alt=\"GA4 Demographic Details report showing top countries people visit a website from\" class=\"wp-image-171191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri.png 1347w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri-434x425.png 434w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri-768x753.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1347px) 100vw, 1347px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1347\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri.png\" alt=\"GA4 Demographic Details report showing top countries people visit a website from\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-171191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri.png 1347w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri-434x425.png 434w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ga4-demographic-details-report-showing-top-countri-768x753.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1347px) 100vw, 1347px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_ulvj96f6rhvk\"\/>Have you done any link building?<\/h3>\n<p>Some sellers are honest about purchasing links or using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/private-blog-network\">private blog networks (PBNs)<\/a>, which opens up the opportunity for you to ask more follow-up questions about what they\u00a0did.<\/p>\n<p>Other sellers are not so forthcoming which is why scopipng out the backlink profile in Ahrefs is critical. Poor quality paid links can have very nasty consequences for websites.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_w1p4m8y10xv5\"\/>How was your content created and how often do you upload new content?<\/h3>\n<p>With the latest move towards helpful content and combatingcombatting the rise of AI content, it can be a big boon to know exactly how the seller went about content creation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Did they create everything themselves?<\/li>\n<li>Do they work with subject matter experts?<\/li>\n<li>Did they use\u00a0AI?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Content creation is the number one activity you can do from day one after you buy a website to help it reach new heights or to improve its performance if it\u2019sits a bit of a fixer-upper.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re comfortable creating all the content, great! If not, it really helps to know what relationships the seller had with writers, editors and subject matter experts that you can leverage.<\/p>\n<p>It also helps to know how frequently they were publishing content so you can maintain a similar cadence. You can increase the cadence, but be wary of going too fast too quicklyquick. Big jumps in content production can be a sign the seller started using AI content.<\/p>\n<p>You can use Ahrefs to spot mass AI-generated content in the <strong>Top Pages<\/strong> report and verify the information the seller has shared with you about their process:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Publishing 14k pages in a matter of a few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>How long before the \u201cWrath of Google\u201d kicks in?<\/p>\n<p>Make your bets, ladies &amp; gentlemen. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Nf4lQZcj9K\">pic.twitter.com\/Nf4lQZcj9K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Tim Soulo \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@timsoulo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1735188462654173260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 14,\u00a02023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_err605pixa6d\"\/>What do you see as the low-hanging fruit for a\u00a0buyer?<\/h3>\n<p>Many sellers and website brokers will be happy to share the low-hanging fruit opportunities for continuing to grow the website. Asking questions along this line of thought will help you uncover opportunities you may not have become aware of during your research.<\/p>\n<p>About 90% of the time, the best opportunities will come from things like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Targeting additional keywords<\/li>\n<li>Updating content<\/li>\n<li>Closing content gaps<\/li>\n<li>Building more or better links<\/li>\n<li>Exploring additional channels like paid or social platforms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_6ipzoobmg1b9\"\/>How are traffic and profits diversified?<\/h3>\n<p>In our book, this is the most important question to consider if the reason you\u2019re buying a website is to establish a passive income stream.<\/p>\n<p>Ask the seller about the history of profit distribution across their top pages or products. You can also assess this yourself in the website\u2019s analytics.<\/p>\n<p>Look at the top three pages or products and see if any are pulling in more than 20% of the traffic or profits. It could be a sign that the website is not very well diversified.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes this is ok and could be used as an opportunity, but other times it may be a major risk that is a deal breaker for\u00a0you.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. Negotiate the sale and migrate the assets\" data-section=\"negotiate-the-sale-and-migrate-the-assets\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_nforyrhiv2j5\"\/>6. Negotiate the sale and migrate the assets<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If everything is looking and feeling good, it\u2019s time to negotiate the sale and then migrate the assets into your possession.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll likely need to put forward an offer you think is fair for the asset. If a broker is involved in the sale, you can negotiate with them or directly with the seller until an agreement is reached.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that many website and business sales fall down at the negotiating phase.<\/p>\n<p>Before you start negotiating, decide what the asset is worth to you and make an offer at around 70% of that amount. Then, negotiate with the seller to reach a deal, but don\u2019t get too excited and exceed your personal maximum.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve secured the deal, it\u2019s just a matter of transferring ownership of all the assets attached to the website, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Domain name<\/li>\n<li>Hosting<\/li>\n<li>Website files<\/li>\n<li>Email accounts<\/li>\n<li>Google Business Profile (if\u00a0any)<\/li>\n<li>Social media accounts (if\u00a0any)<\/li>\n<li>Financial accounts (if possible)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In some cases, you may need to migrate the website to a new hosting account and if this isn\u2019t managed properly, it could affect the website\u2019s performance. Check out our full <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/website-migration\/\">website migration process<\/a> to ensure this step goes smoothly for\u00a0you.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"FAQs\" data-section=\"faqs-when-buying-a-website-for-the-first time\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_tlunbaanjze1\"\/>FAQs when buying a website for the first\u00a0time<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re like most first-time website buyers, you\u2019ve probably got a few questions brewing. Here are answers to the most common ones we\u00a0see.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_ufxeedjs5euh\"\/>Can a website lose performance after a\u00a0sale?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, website performance can be affected by a few things immediately after a\u00a0sale:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A poor migration (especially if consolidating the new website into an existing one)<\/li>\n<li>Inflated figures in the seller\u2019s reports<\/li>\n<li>Dishonest sellers removing any fake links they used to inflate the SEO performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can avoid this issue by paying close attention during the due diligence process and listening to your gut as you ask the seller various questions.<\/p>\n<p>It may also be worth paying for a reputable SEO professional to oversee the migration of the website and its assets after the sale so you risk minimal losses in performance.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_endcpza232zn\"\/>How do I know if a seller is legitimate?<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re buying a website through a marketplace like Flippa, you\u2019ll need to pay more attention to traffic and profit validation to make sure you\u2019re not buying a lemon the seller has painted as a chunk of\u00a0gold.<\/p>\n<p>Brokerages have a much more rigorous process for verifying both sellers and analytics.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, you\u2019ll have to rely on the information you\u2019re able to gather from the seller along with your intuition on whether they are being transparent and can be trusted.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_bi5fwekypoyo\"\/>How do you know the website will be transferred after you pay for\u00a0it?<\/h3>\n<p>You have the option of paying through escrow for almost all website transactions that occur through a marketplace or brokerage. Escrow is a payment method designed to minimize risk for both sellers and buyers in high-value transactions.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of paying the seller everything upfront, you\u2019ll pay a deposit to the escrow provider. Consider it like a legal holding account. Your funds will be kept in this account until certain conditions are met, namely all website files are transferred to you successfully.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve received the files, account access and the website is officially yours, the escrow service releases your payment to the seller. It\u2019s the most secure way to buy a digital asset minimizing your risk substantially.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-171176-_3kfmniwx65sl\"\/>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<p>Overall, buying a website can be a very rewarding experience! Whether a specific website is a good investment for you depends on your goals, skills, and resources.<\/p>\n<p>But if you dot your i\u2019s and cross your t\u2019s with due diligence, you can\u2019t go wrong. If this is your first time buying a website and you have some decent resources to put towards this purchase, we recommend going through a brokerage like Empire Flippers if you\u2019d like the security of carefully vetted websites.<\/p>\n<p>If you already have some experience up your sleeve, perhaps exploring some private deals may lead to more rewarding investments to grow your portfolio.<\/p>\n<p>Got any questions? Reach out on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/despina-gavoyannis\/\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buying-a-website\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buying a website can help you reach a new audience, get a foothold in a new market, expand your business online, or earn \u201cpassive\u201d income. It\u2019s a similar, yet simpler, process compared to merging or acquiring an existing business. But, just like with a business acquisition, not all website purchases come\u00a0equal. In this post, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}