Non-existent domain (NXD) traffic includes requests for domains that do not exist or do not have its DNS settings properly configured. The NXD traffic may include traffic from humans (e.g. type in traffic, clicking on a bookmark to a site that no longer exists, etc) as well as machine traffic such as bots and search crawlers.
The following are some common factors to consider when evaluating NXD Domains.
There are certainly other ways to interpret this data and other factors that can be considered in finding valuable domain names.
- The DNS Traffic Score is most effective when used as an initial screening filter rather than the sole determining factor
- The DNS Traffic Score should be considered along with the various domain request details
Comparing Natural and Machine Based Traffic Patterns
In the following comparison, example-website.com appears to be the more attractive name despite having slightly lower NXD Traffic Scores. The various request details seem to indicate more natural traffic patterns, therefore more potential site visitors.
Example Domain with Natural Traffic Patterns
The name example-website.com conveys meaning for human users. While the NXD Scores are a good way to initially screen potentially interesting domains clicking on a domain name reveals valuable details about the traffic to the domain.
Requests from many locations may suggest more natural traffic.
High percentages of Unique Requests and Business Hour Requests relative to Total Requests suggest more natural traffic.
Natural traffic often occurs sporadically throughout the day with more requests occurring during typical waking hours. Also more requests per day in the prior 7 days indicates a recent increase in DNS traffic.
Example Domain with Machine Based Traffic Patterns
The name h0-s60.com conveys little meaning for human users.
A high number of requests from few locations may suggest machine generated traffic.
A very low percentage of Unique Requests to Total Requests may suggest machine traffic.
Requests occurring regularly throughout the day and over time may suggest machine generated traffic.