Changing your website is an exciting step, but it’s important to be careful. When you change your domain, move to a new content management system, or significantly redesign your site, you are asking search engines like Google to re-evaluate all your hard work.
An improper website migration can lead to serious SEO problems. You could lose rankings, break your internal links, or confuse search engines with duplicate content. To keep your traffic and rankings safe, you need to have a clear plan.
Part 1: The Pre-Migration Checklist
Before you move a single piece of content, you need to prepare. The more organized you are, the smoother your migration will be.
Audit and Map Your Old Website
First, create a complete map of your existing website. This should include all of your URLs, especially your top-performing pages. You’ll also want to note any existing issues, such as broken pages (404 errors) or pages with server errors. Your migration is a great time to clean up these problems.
Create a Redirect Map
Once you have a list of all your old URLs, map them to their new locations. The goal is to make sure every old page has a new, corresponding page to point to.
You’ll need to use a 301 redirect for any page that has moved permanently. This tells search engines and users that the page has a new address. It’s a critical step that ensures you don’t lose the SEO value from old pages and backlinks.
Part 2: What to Do During the Migration
Update Your Internal Links
After your new website is live, you should update your internal links. While redirects are helpful, they are not a permanent solution. Every time Google has to follow a redirect, it uses up some of its crawling “budget.” It’s much better to update all your links so they point directly to the new URLs.
Check for Duplicate Content
Website migration can accidentally create duplicate content, such as having both a www and non-www version of a page live at the same time. This confuses search engines and can hurt your rankings. Make sure you use a canonical tag on each page to clearly show which version is the original.
Part 3: Final Steps After Launch
Once the migration is complete, the work isn’t over. You need to monitor your new site to ensure everything went as planned.
Update Your Sitemap & Search Console
The first thing you should do after launch is submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console. If you changed your domain name, use the “Change of Address” tool to let Google know. This will prompt Google to recrawl your site and index your new URLs.
Monitor Your Performance
Finally, keep a close eye on your key performance indicators, such as your organic traffic, rankings, and user behavior. If you see a sudden drop, you can quickly identify and fix the problem.
What is a website migration?
A website migration is the process of making significant changes to your site that can affect its visibility in search engines. This includes changing a domain name, switching hosting providers, or redesigning the site structure.
How does website migration affect SEO?
Website migration can affect SEO by breaking links, creating duplicate content, or causing search engines to re-evaluate the site. If not done correctly, it can lead to a drop in search rankings and traffic.
What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that sends users and search engines from an old URL to a new one. It’s essential for preserving the SEO value of your old pages after a migration.
How can I make my website migration a success?
The key to a successful migration is careful planning. You should audit your old site, create a redirect map, and check for errors after the new site is live.
