Website Migration and SEO

Create a map of old and new addresses

Gather URLs from your CMS, sitemaps, page scans, and traffic data. Include the most important categories, products, articles, images, and files. A list based solely on a single scan may omit orphaned pages that still receive visits or have links from other websites.

Migration form as a receipt

Each row should include the old URL, the decision to keep or change it, the target URL, the expected response status, and the test result. For the most important pages, include traffic volume and the business objective. This will allow you to test, first and foremost, the areas where a failure would most negatively impact sales.

When changing an address, identify the closest relevant equivalent. Do not redirect all deleted subpages to the home page. If the content has no replacement, you must deliberately determine how to remove it. Merging several pages into one requires verifying that the new content actually meets the needs of their audience.

Test the new website before launching it

The test environment should be protected against accidental exposure and indexing. At the same time, prepare a detailed list of security measures that need to be changed at launch. Leaving the "noindex" tag on production pages may prevent new pages from being indexed. However, do not remove restrictions from the private environment just to run a crawl.

What Does an SEO Audit Include?

• Consistency of content, titles, descriptions, headings, and key elements of the offer.
• How navigation, links, forms, and the shopping cart work on a phone and a computer.
• Consistency of canonical URLs, sitemaps, and language versions, if any.
• Correct display of content generated by templates and custom fields.

Also check the metrics for key activities. A lack of data after launch may be due to a removed tag or a change in how the form is handled, rather than a decline in interest in the offer. Therefore, reviewing the analytics should be a separate item on the plan.

Set up the redirects and check the production site

For addresses that are being permanently changed, set up server-side redirects to the appropriate new pages. Test them against the complete migration map. The destination address should resolve correctly and contain the expected content. Avoid chains where the user is redirected through several consecutive addresses.

Consistent signals after startup

Update internal links and the sitemap so that they point to the new URLs. Check the indexing settings, canonical tags, and resource availability. If the domain is changing, verify the appropriate Search Console properties and check that the URL change tool has been applied for the specific type of migration.

Google recommends mapping addresses, setting up redirects, and monitoring both versions of the site in its migration guide for URL changes. It also recommends keeping the redirects in place for at least a year. Do not delete the old configuration as soon as the new site starts working in the browser.

Monitor errors and business performance after migration

Immediately after launch, check the most important purchase paths, forms, and representative old and new URLs. Then monitor server errors, missing pages, indexing, and traffic for specific groups of subpages. Record any issues you find, along with their priority, owner, and deadline for resolution.

Distinguish between a failure and a temporary change

A broken form, widespread "noindex" tags, or incorrect redirects require an urgent response. Fluctuations in rankings following a URL change must be analyzed in conjunction with the search engine’s migration processing speed. Don’t assume every drop is a normal part of the process, but also don’t overhaul your entire architecture after a single slow day.

Compare results against an appropriate benchmark and take into account seasonal trends and campaigns. Also evaluate orders and the quality of leads, since traffic alone does not reflect the impact on the business. It’s a good idea to incorporate SEO support right from the project’s inception: the website optimization plan should include requirements for the new site, not just fixes after launch.