Hey Matt! Thanks for commenting. Actually a big fan of CanIRank.com. 🙂
Like all SEO tactics, this one has evolved from how it was strictly done by black hats, and there are ways to do it ethically now.
Obviously rebuilding a site from archive.org is not the brightest path forward, and should really only be done by those that understand the risk (if done at all), but acquiring a domain and building a new and high quality site on it is not black hat, and can help with authority. In my experience, anyway.
Yes, in SEO anything/everything can be abused, but there are ways to use expired domains that don’t increase risk. If nothing else, just picking up an expired domain name that is a GREAT brand and as a bonus comes with authority is a win. Building a strong site on it will help grow one’s business in more than one way.
It’s like handling an axe: you can chop wood to keep yourself warm in the winter or to build a house–or you can misuse the axe and injure yourself…
