A website migration is any change to your platform, domain, URL structure or hosting that can affect how Google finds your pages. Done well, it is invisible to search engines. Done badly, it can wipe out years of rankings. The secret is preparation: a complete URL inventory, a tested redirect map and close monitoring after launch.
1Types of Migration
Platform migrations (for example Wix or Squarespace to WordPress, or WordPress to Next.js), domain changes (rebranding or moving from a country domain to a .com), URL structure changes, HTTP to HTTPS moves and site merges all carry SEO risk. The more things change at once, the higher the risk, so avoid combining a domain change with a redesign if you can.
2Create a Full URL Inventory
Combine URLs from a crawl of the old site, your XML sitemap, Google Search Console, analytics landing pages and backlink tools. Include images and PDFs that receive traffic or links. This list is the foundation of your redirect map.
3Build and Test the Redirect Map
Map every old URL to the most relevant new URL using permanent 301 redirects. Avoid redirecting everything to the home page, as Google treats that like a missing page. Test redirects on staging and check for chains and loops.
- One-to-one redirects for important pages
- No redirect chains (A to B to C)
- Keep redirects in place for at least a year
- Update internal links to point straight to new URLs
4Carry Over On-Page SEO
Transfer titles, meta descriptions, headings, body content, image alt text, canonical tags, hreflang tags and structured data. Check that the new templates do not strip these out or replace them with generic text.
5Launch and Monitor
On launch day, submit the new sitemap, use the Change of Address tool in Search Console for domain moves, and crawl the new site for errors. Monitor indexing, rankings, 404 errors and conversions daily for the first two weeks and weekly for the next two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take Google to process a site migration?
Small sites are often re-crawled within a few weeks. Larger sites can take several months to fully settle. Temporary ranking fluctuations are normal during this time.
Do 301 redirects pass SEO value?
Yes. Google has confirmed that 301 redirects pass ranking signals to the new URL, which is why a complete redirect map is the most important part of a migration.
Should I change my domain and design at the same time?
It is safer to make one major change at a time. If you must do both, plan carefully and expect a longer recovery period.
What is the biggest migration mistake?
Launching without redirects or leaving a noindex tag from the staging site. Both can cause sharp traffic drops within days.
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