Website migrations are a common occurrence in the digital realm. Whether it’s moving to a new domain, changing your site’s structure, or upgrading to a different CMS, migrations must be handled with care to protect your SEO value. This checklist provides a comprehensive overview of what every website owner should consider during the migration process.
Why a Checklist is Crucial
Having an SEO migration checklist ensures a systematic and comprehensive approach to website migration. It minimizes risks, oversights, and ensures that you maintain your site’s search visibility post-migration.
Before the Migration
1. Backup Everything
- Website Data: Ensure you have a complete backup of your website.
- Database: Secure a backup of your database.
2. Analyze Current SEO Metrics
- Traffic Sources: Determine where your traffic comes from.
- Keyword Rankings: Document where you currently rank for essential keywords.
- Top-Performing Pages: Identify your most visited and linked-to pages.
3. Create a Detailed Migration Plan
- Migration Reason: Clearly outline why you are migrating.
- Roles & Responsibilities: Assign tasks to your team members.
- Timeline: Set a realistic timeline for your migration.
During the Migration
1. Implement URL Redirects
- 301 Redirects: Set up permanent redirects for changed URLs.
- Map Old URLs to New: Ensure every old URL has a corresponding new destination.
2. Keep the Same Content and Metadata
- Consistency: Try to keep titles, meta descriptions, and content the same if they were working well.
- Optimization: Use this opportunity to optimize any poorly performing content.
3. Update Internal Links
- Absolute to Relative: Change absolute URLs to relative URLs to ensure smooth navigation.
- Check for Broken Links: Utilize tools to identify and rectify broken internal links.
4. Migrate in Off-Peak Times
- Less Traffic: Choose a period with lower website traffic.
- Monitor Errors: Quickly identify and rectify issues without many users being affected.
After the Migration
1. Test Everything
- Functionality: Ensure all website features work correctly.
- Links: Ensure no broken links exist, both internal and external.
- Load Times: Check the website speed.
2. Monitor SEO Metrics Closely
- Traffic: Monitor for any unexpected drops in website traffic.
- Rankings: Check if keyword rankings remain stable or improve.
- Indexation: Use Google Search Console to ensure the new site is indexed.
3. Inform Google
- Search Console: Use Google Search Console to submit your new sitemap.
- Robots.txt: Ensure the new site’s robots.txt file isn’t blocking search engines.
4. Collect Feedback
- User Experience: Gather feedback from users to understand any challenges they face.
- Resolve Issues: Act swiftly on any reported problems.
Conclusion
Website migrations can be a daunting task, but with a well-planned checklist, the process can be streamlined and efficient. Remember, the goal is not just to migrate but to ensure that SEO value is maintained or even improved during the process.
