Website Migration
Overview
Website migration involves moving a site to a new domain, platform, or structure. Without careful planning, migrations can cause significant SEO and traffic loss.
Common Causes
- Changing domain names
- Moving to a new CMS or platform
- Redesigning site structure or URLs
- Switching from HTTP to HTTPS
- Merging multiple sites
How the Problem Appears
- Drop in organic search traffic after migration
- Broken links or missing redirects
- Pages not indexed or deindexed
- Loss of keyword rankings
How It Is Diagnosed
- Comparing pre- and post-migration traffic and rankings
- Checking for redirect chains and errors
- Auditing index coverage in Search Console
- Reviewing server logs for crawl errors
Typical Fix
- Implement 301 redirects for all old URLs
- Update internal links and sitemaps
- Monitor Search Console for issues
- Submit updated sitemaps
- Communicate changes to users and stakeholders