The process of moving or restructuring a website without losing rankings or traffic.
Hey there! Are you planning a big website move but terrified of losing all your hard-earned traffic? I completely understand that fear. Today, I am sharing my expert, step-by-step guide to migrating your site safely. Get ready for actionable tips that ensure your SEO stays strong, or even gets better, after the big switch!
What is SEO Migration?
So, What is SEO Migration? It is the process of moving a website to a new domain, a new CMS, or a new site structure without damaging search engine rankings. I manage all the technical details to preserve link equity and indexing authority. Think of it as carefully packing and moving a fragile antique collection—I cannot afford any breaks!
The core of a successful migration is meticulous planning, especially around URL redirects. I need to tell search engines exactly where the old pages have moved to, usually with 301 redirects. Failing to plan this step means losing visibility, which I absolutely must avoid.
Impact on CMS Platforms
The platform I am moving to or from always changes my migration strategy slightly.
WordPress
When migrating a WordPress site, I use specific plugins to help manage and verify my 301 redirects quickly. I also check for any unnecessary redirects or chains of redirects that the old installation might have created. The flexibility of WordPress allows me to easily fix technical SEO elements post-launch.
Shopify
For Shopify migrations, I pay special attention to the often-rigid URL structure for products and collections. I must ensure the old URLs are perfectly mapped to Shopify’s new, required paths. I also check that product schema markup is transferred correctly to maintain rich snippets.
Wix
Migrating to or from Wix requires careful manual verification of page settings and redirects, as their URL handling can sometimes be specific. I ensure all the page-level SEO settings, like titles and meta descriptions, are copied accurately. I rely heavily on the platform’s native tools for this process.
Webflow
Webflow offers excellent control, so I focus on using its 301 redirect mapping feature for precise control. I ensure the new site takes full advantage of Webflow’s speed and clean code structure. I verify that all custom SEO fields are correctly populated before I push the site live.
Custom CMS
Migrating a custom CMS is the most complex because I have to manage the redirect map myself entirely, often via the server’s .htaccess file. I write scripts to extract all the old URLs and match them perfectly to the new ones. I conduct extensive pre-launch testing to catch any server-side errors.
Application Across Industries
The stakes are different for every business, but the need for a perfect migration is universal.
Ecommerce
For an ecommerce migration, the potential for sales loss is the highest, so I prioritize product and category page redirects. I must ensure no product goes to a 404 page, which would halt purchases. I also verify that my inventory data and unique product identifiers remain consistent.
Local Businesses
A local business migration focuses heavily on maintaining the local authority and Google Business Profile (GBP) consistency. I ensure the new website features the exact same Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) details. I prioritize redirecting old location pages to their new counterparts perfectly.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS migrations often involve moving large amounts of documentation or help center content. I focus on redirecting all the old tutorial and support URLs to avoid frustrating existing users and losing helpful traffic. I also verify that the new site structure clearly points to the core software pages.
Blogs
When migrating a blog, my main focus is mapping every single article URL to the new location without error. I check that the new CMS retains all the original publication dates and author information. This preserves the content’s authority and minimizes any temporary ranking dips.
FAQ
1. What is the biggest risk during an SEO migration?
The biggest risk is failing to implement all the 301 redirects correctly, leading to 404 “page not found” errors. This causes search engines to drop your old pages from their index and results in a severe loss of traffic and link equity. A comprehensive URL mapping plan prevents this.
2. How long will it take for my rankings to recover after a migration?
If the migration is executed perfectly, I usually see rankings stabilize within a few weeks to three months. A temporary dip is common immediately after the switch, but a well-planned migration minimizes this. Continuous monitoring post-launch is crucial.
3. Should I use 302 redirects during an SEO migration?
No, I strongly advise against using 302 (temporary) redirects for a permanent migration. I must use 301 (permanent) redirects because they tell search engines that the page has moved forever. This ensures the maximum amount of “link juice” is passed to the new URL.
4. What should I check immediately after the migration is complete?
I immediately check my Google Search Console for any new crawl errors or 404s. I also verify that all my key pages are indexed by searching Google with “site:[suspicious link removed]”. Finally, I check my analytics to ensure traffic is flowing to the new URLs.
5. Do I need to migrate all my content at once?
For small to medium sites, a single-phase migration is often simpler and preferred. For very large sites, I sometimes recommend a phased approach, migrating non-critical sections first. However, a single, controlled migration is always the safest option for SEO if I can manage it.
