Studies
Each study uses data we collected ourselves, with the sample, the method and the limits on the page, and a CSV you can use.
All studies
Case studyLive case study: relaunching an old domain portfolio
We are rebuilding sites on a portfolio of 224 old domains that started with almost no authority, and publishing every number as it comes in.
DomainsDo old domains have authority?
We audited 224 real domains with a median age of 22.4 years. They still had a median of 251 linking domains, but 96% scored 2 or less out of 100 for authority, and 14 were showing someone else's website.
DomainsWhat happens to expired domains
We followed 37 domains that had been allowed to expire. 30% were picked up by someone else, and some of those now serve spam or copycat sites.
KeywordsKeyword difficulty vs search volume
We compared search volume and keyword difficulty for 483 keywords. Bigger keywords are harder on average, but 36% of those with 10,000+ searches a month still scored under 30.
How to read our studies
Every study starts with a plain question, such as "do old domains keep their authority?", and answers it with one dataset that we gathered on a stated date. We report counts and medians rather than averages, because SEO numbers are very uneven: a handful of domains with huge link profiles can drag an average far away from what a typical domain looks like.
Each page has the same parts:
- The short answer, in a sentence or two, with the numbers that support it.
- The data: charts and tables of aggregates. We never name the domains or sites in a sample.
- Method and limits: where the data came from (registrar records, DNS, live page checks and Semrush's U.S. database), how big the sample is and what it can't tell you.
- A CSV of the aggregate tables, so you can check the arithmetic or reuse the numbers with a link back.
What our samples are, and aren't
Our samples are real but not random. Most come from one owner's portfolio of long-held domains, so they describe old, idle and expired domains well and the whole web less well. When a group is too small to say much, we say so on the page. Read more in how we research, and see the SEO statistics page for findings from other people's published studies.