How to figure out what is wrong with a domain?

[SaltJ]

A few months ago I bought a new domain with the intent of translating a website I own to Spanish language (same theme, same pages grossly speaking, just different language).

A few weeks in I started picking up traffic for a Vietnamese keyword on a page that didn't exist on the website. Visitors would just see a 404. I know the domain had been used before but there's no record of anything on Wayback Machine and I couldn't figure out what it had been used for, so I stuck with it.

However it doesn't rank anything except the domain name itself and even that took quite a while... I have been building backlinks to it, making everything visually smooth, fast website, quality content but nothing works... I suspect it may have to do with the domain itself. Is there anyway to check this?

The other option (which I don't believe so much) is that because the content is translated Google sees it as a copy/duplicate and doesn't rank it.

I'm seriously considering migrating it to another domain and starting over with backlink redirects but even then I have some concern that because the redirects necessarily go through this current domain it will lose its power.

Any knowledgeable thoughts on this?

 

[Nargil]

- Changing languages and niches for money sites is not advised. Chances of the domain working properly, once you do such massive changes are simply lower.
- Vietnamese traffic might have been a result of some backlink traffic, page that wasn't deindexed or some hacked theme or plugin.
- The domain might be crippled and toxic, even without any messages in GSC. Just to be sure, do check GSC.
- Check the history of that domain properly. Whether it was or wasn't abused.
- Translated content is definitely not an issue, as long as you rewrite it a bit at least. If you translated the content via Google translate, then you have a problem.

 

[SaltJ]

- Changing languages and niches for money sites is not advised. Chances of the domain working properly, once you do such massive changes are simply lower.
- Vietnamese traffic might have been a result of some backlink traffic, page that wasn't deindexed or some hacked theme or plugin.
- The domain might be crippled and toxic, even without any messages in GSC. Just to be sure, do check GSC.
- Check the history of that domain properly. Whether it was or wasn't abused.
- Translated content is definitely not an issue, as long as you rewrite it a bit at least. If you translated the content via Google translate, then you have a problem.

- I didn't expect immediate results or anything like it; it's just that it has been stagnant even for simple long-tail keywords (doesn't get past 5th page) for which we have quality content

- I figured as much regarding the Vietnamese traffic (although on the new website it was a 404)...

- I have checked GSC and found nothing

- How do you suggest I check the domain history properly? I checked the Wayback machine and Whois record but there's not much there. Is there any other tool I'm missing?

- It has been professionally translated

 

[IG Professor]

- Changing languages and niches for money sites is not advised. Chances of the domain working properly, once you do such massive changes are simply lower.
- Vietnamese traffic might have been a result of some backlink traffic, page that wasn't deindexed or some hacked theme or plugin.
- The domain might be crippled and toxic, even without any messages in GSC. Just to be sure, do check GSC.
- Check the history of that domain properly. Whether it was or wasn't abused.
- Translated content is definitely not an issue, as long as you rewrite it a bit at least. If you translated the content via Google translate, then you have a problem.

This is exactly what you should do. @Nargil just provided you with the most accurate answer.

 

[Nargil]

- I didn't expect immediate results or anything like it; it's just that it has been stagnant even for simple long-tail keywords (doesn't get past 5th page) for which we have quality content

- I figured as much regarding the Vietnamese traffic (although on the new website it was a 404)...

- I have checked GSC and found nothing

- How do you suggest I check the domain history properly? I checked the Wayback machine and Whois record but there's not much there. Is there any other tool I'm missing?

- It has been professionally translated

- Quality content is irrelevant, unless it's some spun or duplicate crap.
- Check hosterstats, anchors, historic anchors in majestic, archive, domaintools screenshots (paid)

Or just send me the domain over and I will take a look.

 

[SaltJ]

- Quality content is irrelevant, unless it's some spun or duplicate crap.
- Check hosterstats, anchors, historic anchors in majestic, archive, domaintools screenshots (paid)

Or just send me the domain over and I will take a look.

I'm trying to PM you but can't find the option for it; maybe because I'm new in the forum. Can you PM me your email pls

 

[Nargil]

Conclusion - Domain spammed with the past with hundreds upon hundreds of SAPE-ish kind of links, mostly probably hacked.

Check your backlink history kids, before you buy and use domains.