Website Flipping Lab

Due Diligence Checklist

Complete before making an offer

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Verify the real domain age via WHOIS (at least 2–3 years)stop dealRead article →
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Check the site's history on Wayback Machine: no radical niche changes
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Verify the domain was never used for spam, pharma or adult content in the paststop dealRead article →
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Check for manual penalties in Google Search Console (request read-only access from the seller)
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Search the domain with 'site:domain.com' on Google — all pages must be indexed
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Verify the domain is clean, transferable and free from contractual restrictions
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Get read-only access to Google Analytics — never accept screenshots onlystop deal
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Verify that the primary traffic source is organic Google search (at least 50–60%)
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Analyze the last 12–24 months trend: no sudden drops coinciding with Google algorithm updatesstop deal
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Cross-check GA data with Ahrefs or SEMrush estimates (divergences >50% are suspicious)warning
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Check the bounce rate: below 10% is anomalous (possible double-tracking or bot traffic)
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Verify average session duration: must be consistent with the type of content
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Analyze geographic distribution: traffic should come from monetizable countries
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No single page should generate more than 15–20% of total trafficwarning
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Get read-only access to Google Search Console and review impressions and CTR per keyword
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Verify there are no sudden traffic spikes in recent weeks (sign of artificial inflation)stop deal
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Request a live screen-share session of the revenue dashboards (Amazon, Mediavine, Stripe…)stop deal
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Do not trust screenshots: editing an HTML page takes 30 seconds
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Verify that Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) is consistent with industry benchmarks
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Review monthly revenue over the last 12 months: no isolated spikes or zero-revenue monthswarning
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Verify that monetization accounts are transferable (personal AdSense accounts are not)
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Calculate net profit by deducting all costs (hosting, tools, freelancers, content)
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Verify the absence of zero-revenue months immediately followed by a sudden spikestop deal
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Check that dependency on a single affiliate program does not exceed 80% of revenuewarning
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Request PayPal or bank statements that match the declared monthly payments
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Full backlink profile analysis with Ahrefs or SEMrush (filter: dofollow, one per domain, DR >20)
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Manually review high-DR domains with near-zero organic traffic: likely PBNstop deal
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Verify the percentage of exact-match anchor text: above 20–25% is suspicious
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Check link acquisition history: sudden link spikes in a short period are a red flagwarning
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Verify that links come from relevant niches (no links from unrelated languages or topics)
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Use Wayback Machine to verify that linking sites haven't radically changed topics
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Check if the site has received manual penalties for link schemes in Search Console
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Verify Domain Rating trend over the last 12 months (stable growth is a positive signal)
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Manually read at least 10–20 articles: they must demonstrate real expertise (E-E-A-T)
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Verify originality with Copyscape or Duplichecker: no duplicate content allowed
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Evaluate whether content was mass-generated with unedited AI (thin content)warning
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Check that articles include original images, proprietary data or first-hand experience
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Verify the last-updated date: content not refreshed for years tends to lose rankings
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Analyze the internal linking structure: thorough internal linking signals editorial care
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Estimate how much content requires rework or updating post-acquisition (impacts costs)
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Run a full site audit with Screaming Frog or SEMrush (404 errors, broken redirects, orphan pages)
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Check Core Web Vitals on PageSpeed Insights (LCP, CLS, INP must be in the green)
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Check loading speed on both mobile and desktop
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Verify the site has active SSL and no browser security warnings
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Assess the quality of the current hosting and estimate migration costs
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Verify that WordPress plugins are up to date and not obsolete (security risk)
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Check that no pirated or unlicensed scripts/software are installedstop deal
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Verify that the WordPress theme is original and has a valid license
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Ask explicitly about the reason for selling: the answer must be specific and plausible
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Verify the seller's history on the platform (feedback, previous transactions)
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A seller who refuses live access to data is an extreme red flagstop deal
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Check if the seller has sold similar sites recently (may indicate an opportunistic pattern)
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Verify whether the team (writers, VAs, SEO) is included in the sale or tied to the sellerwarning
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Ask how many hours per week the site currently requires to manage
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Evaluate whether the seller offers a transition period (30–90 days of post-sale support)
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Calculate the real multiple: asking price / monthly net profit (target: below 30× in 2025)
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Compare the multiple against platform benchmarks (Empire Flippers publishes historical data)
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Calculate the payback period: how many months of profit does the purchase price represent?
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Estimate post-acquisition improvement costs (content, link building, technical fixes)
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Calculate expected ROI at 12 and 24 months based on conservative projections
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Estimate a realistic resale price after improvements (use current market multiples)
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Always use a certified escrow account for payment — never a direct wire transferstop deal
Legend:stop dealabandon the deal immediatelywarninginvestigate further or negotiate on price