Table of Content
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Introduction
Migrating a website is a big decision. Whether you're changing your domain, switching platforms, or redesigning the entire site, one small mistake can cost you your search rankings. That’s where this SEO migration checklist comes in. It helps you move your website smoothly, without losing traffic, rankings, or your audience's trust.
Let’s break down the full process into easy steps that even beginners can follow.
What Is SEO Migration?
SEO migration is the process of moving your website while protecting or improving your current SEO rankings. This can involve:
- Moving from one domain to another
- Shifting from HTTP to HTTPS
- Changing URLs or site structure
- Moving to a new CMS (like WordPress or Shopify)
- Redesigning the website
A solid SEO migration strategy ensures that search engines understand your new website setup and keep your pages indexed properly
Why You Need an SEO Migration Checklist
Without a checklist, it's easy to miss important steps. If you don’t handle the migration correctly, you may:
- Lose organic traffic
- Drop in Google rankings
- Confuse your users and search engines
- Face indexing errors
A proper plan, ideally created with help from an experienced SEO company, will help you prevent these issues.
Pre-Migration Checklist (Before You Move)
Audit Your Current Website
- Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush
- Export all current URLs
- Note down the top-performing pages
- Track your keywords and rankings
This gives you a full picture of your website's current SEO strength.
Set Up Analytics and Search Console
- Make sure Google Analytics is tracking everything
- Connect your site with Google Search Console
- Take screenshots or download your current reports
These will help you measure the impact of the migration later.
Crawl and Backup Your Website
- Use a crawler to list all pages
- Save all metadata: title tags, meta descriptions, etc.
- Take a full backup of your website (files + database)
If anything goes wrong during the migration, you’ll have everything saved.
Prepare Your 301 Redirect Plan
301 redirects are the most important part of any seo tips and strategy. They tell search engines where your old pages have moved.
- Map every old URL to the new URL
- Don’t forget pages, blog posts, and image URLs
- Avoid redirect chains (old to new to newer)
During the Migration (The Move)
Launch the Site on a Staging Environment First
Don’t go live immediately. First, test your new site on a staging domain (like staging.yoursite.com).
- Check for broken links
- Test all 301 redirects
- Make sure all images, content, and metadata are intact
- This step can prevent SEO disasters before the real launch.
Block Crawlers from the Staging Site
You don’t want Google to index your test site.
- Use a robots.txt file with: Disallow: /
- Add “noindex” tags to all pages
Once you go live, remove these tags immediately.
Upload 301 Redirects
Once you're ready to go live:
- Upload all your 301 redirects to your new server
- Double-check the redirect paths
- Use tools to test the redirects (like httpstatus.io)
This will guide users and search engines from your old pages to the new ones smoothly.
Update Internal Links
If your URLs have changed, update all internal links.
- Fix links in navigation menus, footers, buttons, and blog content
- Update image URLs and downloadable files
- Make sure no internal link points to the old domain
Post-Migration Checklist (After the Move)
Submit New Sitemap to Google
- Create a new XML sitemap
- Submit it in Google Search Console
- Remove the old sitemap (if the domain has changed)
This helps Google index your new pages faster.
Monitor Indexing and Crawling
Keep an eye on how your pages are being indexed.
- Use Search Console’s “Coverage” and “Indexing” tabs
- Fix crawl errors, missing pages, or duplicate content
- Make sure all important pages are showing as indexed
If anything is missing, Google may not rank your new pages properly.
Track Rankings and Traffic
Compare the performance before and after the migration.
- Use Google Analytics and Search Console reports
- Check keyword rankings regularly
- Watch for sudden drops in traffic
If you lose rankings, look into what went wrong and fix it quickly.
Keep the Old Site Live (Temporarily)
If possible, keep your old domain or structure live for 2-4 weeks with the 301s in place. This gives search engines enough time to adjust and transfer SEO Service value.
Bonus Tips for a Smooth SEO Migration
Test Everything Again and Again
Don’t assume anything is working — test it. Broken redirects, missing images, and wrong links can hurt your rankings.
Inform Google and Bing
Use the “Change of Address” tool in Google Search Console if you're changing domains. Do the same for Bing Webmaster Tools.
Use Canonical Tags
If you have duplicate content between the old and new site (for a short time), use canonical tags to tell search engines which one to index.
Monitor Backlinks
Use tools to find backlinks pointing to your old URLs. If possible, contact site owners and request them to update the links to your new URLs.
When Should You Hire an SEO Migration Agency?
If your website is large, complex, or mission-critical, hiring an SEO migration agency can help you avoid costly mistakes.
Agencies can:
- Audit your site in detail
- Create a custom seo migration strategy
- Manage the redirect mapping and technical setup
- Monitor indexing, rankings, and traffic post-migration
They can also provide emergency help if anything goes wrong after launch.
Final Thoughts
Website migration doesn’t have to mean lost rankings or traffic. With a solid seo migration checklist, careful planning, and proper testing, you can move your website smoothly and even improve your SEO performance.
Remember:
- Always back up your data
- Redirect every old URL
- Monitor analytics and search console
- Fix any issues immediately
Whether you're preparing for a complete site redesign or just changing your domain, following a detailed SEO migration checklist ensures your site stays safe in search rankings. With the right planning, strategy, and support, you don’t have to lose traffic or visibility.
Partnering with AIS Technolabs for your SEO migration means choosing experience, careful execution, and a smooth path to continued growth in search results.
FAQs
Ans.
SEO migration is the process of moving a website to a new platform, domain, or URL structure while maintaining SEO performance. It’s crucial to prevent ranking drops and traffic loss during the transition.
Ans.
Prepare by conducting an SEO audit, mapping old URLs to new ones, setting up 301 redirects, and testing in a staging environment. Also, ensure mobile-friendliness and backup your site.
Ans.
301 redirects ensure that search engines and users are directed to the correct pages, preserving link equity and preventing ranking loss. Without them, traffic can drop significantly.
Ans.
Google can take days to weeks to re-index your site after migration. Submitting an updated sitemap in Google Search Console can speed up the process.
FAQ 5: Will My Rankings Drop After Migration?
Ans.
Some ranking fluctuations are normal right after migration. However, proper planning and 301 redirects will help rankings recover within weeks.
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