Stuart
I've had a beer so excuse the candidness of this post but here's a few problems you have embarking on your latest endeavour, make no mistake I commend you on your choice I just wish to offer a better solution 👍
Let's talk about the fundamentals of this project, you want to take something someone else made (clearly noticeable with any decent Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool) which clearly Google know about
So okay let's roll with that in the interim, so someone else built your link profile (if a client told me today I didn't have the power to control that link profile I would literally say thanks for the meeting but we can't do business) without methodical checks your ass is wide open, I'm not saying you would not over time gain control but I would ask?…
Why not just start from scratch? By not controlling every element on a granular and individual level you may have problems, let alone the old school SEO tactics of old hitting you on the head like a hammer with various Google updates
So basically if you can honestly tell me how you think this would help you build your brand I would love to hear feedback (let's not forget Rankbrain here which massively comes into effect basically to counter every point you made to justify using another domain) you will get hit on the head, and repeatedly, because from day 1 you have a suspect link profile (why suspect? It's a dropped domain… ), that's it, why start in a gray area, build a brand and promote it (happy to help you with promotional templates and strategy if your unsure please message me, I never charge anyone from this group) I totally understand working in the public domain can seem overwhelming, hell I talk to multi million pound businesses and the directors are scared stiff at public opinion, don't be afraid of the public and feedback please, if you can crack that your the next Neil Patel or Brian dean, tear their strategies apart ( I have) the only difference is a lack of fear walking into the public arena, don't be that guy, build it so you built if from nothing, it's the only way, speak soon 👍
Eddie ✍️
I'm a bit confused. The domain is expired, I just want the name and build a brand around it. I want to start from scratch, that is the goal which is why I am making sure it wasn't previously used for Spam. Using the wayback-machine I found that Years ago (2002-2003) the previous domain owner apparently was using it for some Artist thing which looks like some sort of photography business related. It appears to have changed owners somewhere in between 2003-2009 which the domain became some PC repair/IT store/services. I believe there was no SEO involved at all, just someone who made a site for his brand and hasn't been up since maybe… 2013. So from 2003-2009 it had one owner, 2009-2013 it had another and since then the website has been down. Now just a year ago it went for sale as the owner did not renew it.
I appreciate any feed back and I am not afraid of criticism/opinion which is why I am here. So are you saying that because it has gone through some owners this can affect me in my current plans of growing a brand? The niches would be completely different. I've tried finding several domains for the past day and finally landed on one I like.
Stuart
Well if you like it that's fine and works well, in your case I would say best practices would be to disavow any Domains you won't use in the future, discrediting the exiting profile gives you a clean slate in googles eyes and if the keyword suits then go for it
But, you have to take action in googles eyes to make sure they are aware it's a new owner with a new business a lot of rankbrains work these days is to track dropped domains to inevitably kill all prior associations in terms of ranking leverage 👍
Fire up a flare, says it's yours and disavow everything not required for future use and you will be fine 👍

Kur
Apart from all that you mentioned, you'll want to check the anchor text distribution. Also if site:website.com doesn't pop anything up, it might be deindexed for spam or just not indexed because there's nothing.
Alam
Check the backlinks too. If they are from irrelevant sites or from Private Blog Network (PBN) links then don't purchase.

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