The Complete Website Migration SEO Checklist
Website migrations are among the highest-risk SEO activities. Done poorly, they can cost you 30-50% of your organic traffic—sometimes permanently. Done correctly, they can be traffic-neutral or even beneficial.
This checklist covers everything you need to know to migrate your website without losing your hard-earned rankings.
Understanding Migration Risk
Why Migrations Are Dangerous
What can go wrong:
- URLs change without proper redirects
- Content gets lost or modified
- Site structure changes confuse Google
- Technical issues block crawling
- Page speed degrades
- Mobile experience changes
The typical damage:
- 20-30% traffic drop is common
- Recovery takes 3-6 months
- Some rankings never fully recover
- Business impact can be severe
When Migrations Make Sense
Despite risks, migrations are sometimes necessary:
- Moving from WordPress to a modern platform
- Rebranding with domain change
- Consolidating multiple sites
- Upgrading outdated infrastructure
- Improving site performance significantly
- Changing CMS platforms
The key is managing the transition properly.
Pre-Migration Phase (4-6 Weeks Before)
Week 1-2: Audit Current State
Document your baseline:
□ Export all URLs from Google Search Console □ Run a full site crawl (Screaming Frog, Sitebulb) □ Document current ranking positions □ Export organic traffic data from Analytics □ Screenshot key pages (for reference) □ List all indexed pages in Google □ Document internal link structure □ Export all current redirects
Key data to capture:
- URL inventory with traffic data
- Current rankings for target keywords
- Backlink profile (Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush)
- Core Web Vitals scores
- Crawl errors and issues
Week 2-3: Plan URL Structure
URL mapping is critical:
□ Map every old URL to its new URL □ Identify pages to keep, redirect, or remove □ Plan 301 redirect rules □ Document URL pattern changes □ Decide on trailing slashes, www/non-www □ Plan parameter handling
Mapping spreadsheet columns: | Old URL | New URL | Redirect Type | Traffic | Rankings | |---------|---------|---------------|---------|----------|
URL best practices for new site:
- Keep URLs as similar as possible
- Use descriptive, keyword-rich URLs
- Maintain consistent structure
- Avoid unnecessary parameters
Week 3-4: Content Audit
Review all content:
□ Identify content to migrate unchanged □ Identify content to update/improve □ Identify content to consolidate □ Identify content to remove (301 or 410) □ Plan new content if needed
Content migration rules:
- High-performing content: Migrate unchanged (URLs and content)
- Medium content: Migrate with improvements
- Low/no traffic content: Consider consolidation or removal
- Outdated content: Update or redirect to better resource
Week 4-5: Technical Preparation
New site technical checklist:
□ SSL certificate installed □ robots.txt properly configured □ XML sitemap generating correctly □ Canonical tags implemented □ hreflang tags (if multilingual) □ Structured data implemented □ 404 page created □ Mobile responsiveness verified □ Page speed optimized
Pre-launch testing:
□ Test all redirects before launch □ Verify internal links work □ Check all forms function □ Test site search □ Verify analytics tracking □ Test on multiple devices/browsers
Week 5-6: Staging Environment
Set up staging site:
□ Full copy of new site on staging URL □ Block staging from search engines (noindex, password, or robots.txt) □ Test all functionality □ Run full crawl of staging site □ Compare staging crawl to production crawl □ Fix issues before launch
Migration Day Checklist
Pre-Launch (Morning)
□ Notify stakeholders of migration timing □ Confirm all redirects are ready □ Take final backup of old site □ Export final analytics data □ Verify staging site is complete □ Prepare rollback plan
Launch Execution
Execute in this order:
□ Put old site in maintenance mode (brief) □ Deploy new site □ Implement all 301 redirects □ Submit new sitemap to Google Search Console □ Request indexing of key pages □ Verify site is accessible □ Test critical functionality □ Verify redirects working
Post-Launch (Same Day)
□ Run full crawl of live site □ Check for crawl errors □ Verify redirects are working □ Test site on mobile devices □ Verify analytics tracking □ Monitor site performance □ Check for any 404 errors
Post-Migration Phase (Weeks 1-12)
Week 1: Immediate Monitoring
Daily checks:
□ Monitor crawl errors in Search Console □ Check for 404 spikes in Analytics □ Monitor organic traffic trends □ Watch for ranking fluctuations □ Check site speed
Fix issues immediately:
□ Add missing redirects for 404s □ Fix any broken internal links □ Address crawl errors □ Resolve indexing issues
Weeks 2-4: Stabilization
Regular monitoring:
□ Track ranking changes □ Monitor organic traffic recovery □ Check indexation progress □ Review backlink profile for issues □ Address crawl budget issues
Search Console actions:
□ Monitor coverage report □ Check mobile usability □ Review Core Web Vitals □ Address any manual actions
Months 2-3: Recovery and Optimization
Assessment:
□ Compare traffic to pre-migration baseline □ Identify any pages not recovering □ Check for ranking drops on key pages □ Review user behavior metrics
Optimization:
□ Update content if needed □ Build new internal links □ Address any remaining technical issues □ Consider link building to support recovery
301 Redirect Best Practices
Redirect Rules
Must-have redirects:
- Page-to-page redirects: Old URL → New URL for all migrated content
- Section redirects: Old category → New category (if structure changed)
- Domain-level redirect: Old domain → New domain (if domain changed)
Redirect examples:
# Exact page redirects
Redirect 301 /old-page/ /new-page/
# Pattern-based redirects
RedirectMatch 301 ^/blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1
# Query parameter handling
RewriteRule ^page\.php$ /page/? [R=301,L]
Common Redirect Mistakes
Avoid these errors:
□ Redirect chains (A → B → C): Go directly A → C □ Redirect loops (A → B → A): Test all redirects □ Redirecting to homepage by default: Match to relevant page □ Forgetting trailing slashes: Handle both variations □ Missing image/asset redirects: Redirect if URLs changed □ Temporary redirects (302): Use 301 for permanent moves
Redirect Testing
Test before launch:
□ Spot-check sample redirects manually □ Use redirect checker tools □ Run crawl to catch redirect issues □ Test from multiple locations/devices
Content Preservation
What Must Stay the Same
For SEO continuity:
□ Title tags (or very similar) □ Meta descriptions □ H1 headings □ Main body content □ Images and alt text □ Internal links
What Can Change
Safe to modify:
□ Design and layout □ Navigation structure □ Sidebar content □ Footer content □ Technical implementation
Content Consolidation
When combining pages:
- Choose the strongest page as the destination
- 301 redirect weaker pages to it
- Incorporate best content from merged pages
- Update internal links to point to consolidated page
- Monitor rankings for combined keywords
Technical Considerations
Site Speed
Migration often affects speed:
□ Test new site speed before launch □ Compare to old site performance □ Address any regressions □ Optimize images and assets □ Implement caching properly
Mobile Experience
Verify mobile parity:
□ All content accessible on mobile □ Mobile navigation works properly □ Touch targets appropriately sized □ No horizontal scrolling □ Forms work on mobile
Structured Data
Migrate schema markup:
□ Implement same structured data types □ Verify schema is valid □ Test in Rich Results Test □ Monitor rich results in Search Console
XML Sitemap
Sitemap requirements:
□ New sitemap with all new URLs □ Remove redirected/removed URLs □ Submit to Search Console □ Update sitemap in robots.txt □ Consider sitemap index for large sites
Rollback Plan
When to Rollback
Consider rolling back if:
- Site is completely inaccessible
- Critical functionality broken
- Massive redirect failures
- Severe security issues
Rollback Procedure
Have ready:
- Full backup of old site
- DNS settings to revert
- Database backup (if applicable)
- Documentation of old configuration
- Contact information for hosting/DNS providers
Migration-Specific Scenarios
WordPress to Static/Modern Platform
Additional considerations:
□ Export all WordPress content □ Map WordPress URL structure to new structure □ Handle post categories and tags □ Migrate comments if needed □ Address plugin functionality □ Redirect /wp-admin/ and /wp-login.php
Domain Change
Additional considerations:
□ Set up Search Console for new domain □ Use Change of Address tool □ Update all external profiles and directories □ Email domain change to backlink sources □ Monitor both domains in Search Console □ Keep old domain active for redirects (12+ months)
HTTP to HTTPS
Additional considerations:
□ Redirect all HTTP to HTTPS □ Update internal links to HTTPS □ Update canonical tags to HTTPS □ Update sitemap to HTTPS URLs □ Update Search Console property □ Update Analytics configuration
Measuring Migration Success
Key Metrics to Track
Week 1-4:
- Crawl errors (should decrease)
- Indexed pages (should stabilize)
- Organic traffic (expect fluctuation)
- Ranking changes (expect movement)
Month 2-3:
- Traffic comparison to pre-migration
- Ranking recovery progress
- Conversion rate comparison
- User engagement metrics
Success Criteria
Good migration:
- Traffic within 10% of pre-migration within 4-6 weeks
- Rankings stable or improved
- No significant technical issues
- Improved site performance
Concerning signs:
- Traffic down 30%+ after 4 weeks
- Key rankings dropped significantly
- Crawl errors increasing
- Indexation declining
The Bottom Line
Website migrations don't have to be disasters. With proper planning, careful execution, and diligent monitoring, you can migrate your site while preserving—or even improving—your SEO performance.
The key is preparation. The more thoroughly you document, plan, and test before launch, the smoother your migration will be.
Use this checklist as your guide, adapt it to your specific situation, and don't rush the process. Your rankings are worth protecting.
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