Buying an older domain name beats buying a recent one

Buying an Older Domain Vs a New One
 
It all depends. It all depends on the new domain name you are considering. If you have discovered a high quality generic dot.com domain name that no one else has had the sense to register, then by all means, snap it up. However, the odds that you shall stumble upon an unregistered high quality generic domain name are stacked against you. It can happen, nothing is impossible, but the chances are extremely slim.

It is best to look for an older high quality generic domain name and buy it. There are a number of reasons why buying an older domain name beats buying a new one. To begin with, it is possible to get a high quality generic domain name that fits your purposes exactly. With older domains, you can get the right domain name that comprises the keyword(s) you are targeting. It is also possible to find an unforgettable generic domain name that will bring visitors to your site in droves and can be used as a brand.
 
Search engines will probably already have indexed an older domain especially where a previous owner may have developed some content. If you are operating in the same industry, this will be very advantageous since all you need to do is to make improvements. Investment in terms of time and money in Search Engine Optimization and building back links shall be much less.
 
Another reason why you should consider purchasing an older high quality generic domain name is the phenomenon that has now come to be known as The Google Sandbox. The Google Sandbox begun being observed by webmasters a few years back. The way the Sandbox works is by taking a new domain name off the radar by excluding it from search engine results for up to 8 months. This is irrespective of any search engine optimization efforts, navigability and content.
 
Google denies it exists but one of their senior managers admitted in an interview that some aspects of their search engine program (algorithm) may be perceived as a Sandbox. Thus, despite the denials, it does exist. Some industries are more affected than others especially the highly competitive industries. The only way known to webmasters to beat the Sandbox is by acquiring older high quality generic domain names. Such domain names have “aged” sufficiently and are no longer Sandboxed. You can therefore build successful websites with such domain names.
 
An older high quality generic dot.com domain is your best bet.