301 redirect problem - can't undo

I had a website that wasn't being updated much a few years ago, so I setup a 301 redirect in htaccess to send that traffic to another domain.

Now, I want to start using that original domain again, and have removed the 301 redirect.

However, I am finding that the 301 redirect is still cached or something in the bowels of the interweb. For the most part, visiting the site works fine...but there are a few issues...
-the rankings are much lower than they should be for the domains main keywords.
-some seo tools still say that the domain is redirected to the other domain (they don't see that it was undone)

Anyone have any ideas on if anything can be done to help spread the word to the web that the redirect is no more?

301 is a permanent redirect. Robots and sites are free to assume that it's forever redirected. Just build the new site and give it time for the internet to forget. Nothing else you can do.

you may redirect the new domain back to the original domain not just cancelled the redirection

301 is a permanent redirect. Robots and sites are free to assume that it's forever redirected. Just build the new site and give it time for the internet to forget. Nothing else you can do.

Click to expand...

Really? What if I buy a domain and the previous owner had 301'd it someplace? There is no way to get rid of it? That doesn't seem right.

xjapan said:

you may redirect the new domain back to the original domain not just cancelled the redirection

Click to expand...

I do not have access to the domain it was originally redirected to.

As long as it’s got quality unique content on it then it’s just a matter of time.

I've had this problem in the past as well. I went and did several 301s from the root domain to another site to transfer the site's authority to another.
When I went and cancel the 301 from that domain, Big G did not update this to reflect the cancelled 301 on the site, and it is still showing the target website's content in the process.
So it may take sometime for them to update the cancelled 301 - to properly reflect that it is no longer redirecting - and it can take a long time, mind you.
Or you can start building content on the site, and build back links, and that would somehow encourage them to see that it's no longer a 301 on the site, but a legit site.