Site migrations are high-risk for SEO. Whether you're redesigning, changing domains, or moving platforms, here's how to protect your rankings.
Types of Site Migrations
- Platform change: Moving from one CMS to another
- Domain change: Moving to a new domain name
- URL structure change: Changing how URLs are formatted
- HTTP to HTTPS: Adding SSL security
- Site redesign: Major changes to layout and content
Pre-Migration Checklist
- Crawl and document current site structure
- Export current rankings and traffic data
- Create URL mapping (old URL → new URL)
- Backup everything
- Plan redirects for all changing URLs
- Test on staging environment first
During Migration
- Implement 301 redirects for all changed URLs
- Update internal links to new URLs
- Preserve title tags and meta descriptions
- Maintain on-page content
- Keep important pages at same URL depth
Post-Migration
- Submit new sitemap to Search Console
- Add new property if domain changed
- Monitor Search Console for crawl errors
- Check for broken links
- Monitor rankings and traffic daily for first month
- Fix issues immediately as they arise
Common Migration Mistakes
Missing Redirects
Every old URL needs to redirect to the best equivalent new URL.
Redirect Chains
Old URL → intermediate URL → new URL. Redirect directly to final destination.
Changing Too Much at Once
If you change domain AND URL structure AND design simultaneously, it's hard to diagnose problems.
No Monitoring
Rankings can drop temporarily even with perfect migration. Watch closely and react quickly.
Expected Timeline
- Week 1-2: Rankings may fluctuate
- Month 1-2: Should stabilize near previous levels
- Month 3+: Should return to normal or improve
Related: 301 vs 302 Redirects
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