Site migration in SEO – what you should know

Website migration can solve various problems, but it can also be risky. Problems may include weakened search engine rankings or even a complete loss of the website. It is worth learning more about the website migration process.

What is website migration?

Website migration is the process of making major changes to the technology, structure, design or location of a website.

Migration involves major changes. It is a complex process and you need a good reason to decide to go ahead with it. The most common reasons for website migration include the following situations:

• Changing the structure, navigation or design of a website – sometimes the old design needs refreshing or the site structure and its navigation put search engine bots off. 
• Moving to a new structure or CMS – this can be done to improve the site’s performance, security or functionality. 
• Adding a mobile version – the mobile version of a website is important for anyone browsing the site on a tablet or a phone. 
• Moving from HTTP to HTTPS – not every user wants to visit a website after receiving a popup informing them that it is not secure. Moving from HTTP to HTTPS allows you to secure the site through data encryption for users and avoid scary-looking notifications. 
• Moving to a new server – moving to new hosting can generally speed up a site, especially if it is growing. A fast site looks good to both visitors and search engines. 
• Changing the domain name – sometimes changing the domain name is part of a rebrand. This change is also considered a website migration.

1. 01Changing technology / structureA process of major modifications
2. 02Refreshing the navigation designNew design and structure
3. 03Moving to a new systemBetter performance and security
4. 04Implementing a mobile versionImprovement for portable devices

A process of major changes, requiring a good reason

Does website migration affect SEO?

Like other significant changes, website migration has an impact on SEO. However, migrating for the right reason can provide security and a better experience for website users.

Google prefers fast websites that are user-friendly. So moving to faster hosting can have a positive impact on SEO in the long term.

Moving a site means that Google has to reindex it, so in the short term it is normal to notice a drop in organic traffic.

Ultimately, having a solid migration plan can help maintain your current positions on SERP pages and even improve them.

How long should SEO migration take?

In truth, the duration of SEO migration depends on the size of the website, the amount of content being moved, and the initial and final audits. Migrating a website with 100 subpages will be significantly quicker than a site with 1000 subpages, which in turn will be much quicker than a site with 50000 subpages, etc.

In some SEO migrations, preparation and execution take a month, or even three months. It is therefore important to allow enough time for planning, creating a site preview, carrying out QA and an audit, and implementation. For safety, it is worth allocating three months to this. Of course, a lot also depends on the site owner themselves and the resources of their team.

1. 01Factors influencingSize, content, audits
2. 02Project scaleSmall (faster) vs large (slower)
3. 03Recommended duration1–3 months (safely)
4. 04Stages and resourcesPlanning, QA, team

Summary: Allowing enough time for audits and implementation (up to 3 months) and having the team’s available resources are key to a successful migration.

How much does SEO migration cost?

The cost of an SEO migration is linked to the size of the project. It depends on: 

• the type of migration being carried out, 
• the amount of content being moved and optimised, 
• the number of 301 redirects being implemented, 
• the overall size of the site, 
• the preview audit,
• the implementation.

It is worth using the services of SEO experts or agencies that already have experience in site migration with SEO in mind. It is far better to invest in a proper SEO migration straight away, rather than choosing the cheapest option and then constantly fixing mistakes while holding back or damaging organic performance.

SEO migration checklist

Depending on the goal and the time available, you can apply all of the elements below from the checklist. This will allow you to carry out an effective migration.

1. 01Timeline & resourcesChoose a realistic work schedule.
2. 02Time & teamLow traffic, available DEV team.
3. 03Avoid weekendsCoordination is key.
4. 04Start off-peakChoose the afternoon or evening.
5. 05Compatibility & testingCheck all elements.

Effective planning of timing and the team minimises risk during migration.

Choosing a sensible migration date

You need to choose an implementation date that is best for the team and web traffic. You have to take into account all the work that is to be done and the project’s sensible timeframe. For example, you need to make sure that compatibility is maintained with elements such as:

• project goals,
• redesign and approval time,
• development work,
• content creation and content updates,
• SEO migration tasks,
• launch-day tasks.

You should choose a day and time when traffic and engagement are low and when we have the DEV team exclusively available. It sounds tempting, but you should avoid doing this at weekends, as it can lead to coordination and communication problems. It is worth opting to launch the new site in the afternoon or late evening, because any issues and their resolution will fall in the morning hours, when web traffic is low.

Creating a backup of the site

You need to create a backup of your website. If the site launch does not go according to plan, you can restore the old site if necessary. It is worth working with the marketing department and the web development team (provider) to prepare a detailed plan for restoring the old site.

Creating a test version of the site

A beta version of the site is a copied version of the new website that is invisible to users. This is where you can test the changes that will be introduced on the published site. By creating a preview of the site, the team has time not only to see what the content looks like and how the site functions, but can also test and implement 301 redirects before the site is published. This means there is no need to update URL addresses in internal links and sitemaps many times before and after the site launch.

Moving site sections

When moving many properties or subpages, or many large sections of a company’s website as part of a site migration, it is worth considering splitting this task into stages instead of moving everything at once. This strategy makes it easier to manage the process and to identify problems and resolve them before publication.

Carrying out an organic check and a backlink audit of the new domain

When migrating a domain, it is worth checking the organic performance of the domain to which the site is to be moved. You should find out whether it has previously received a penalty for content or backlinks that are spam. In addition, you should check whether the current backlinks lead to inappropriate sites or to pages containing spam. Checking the domain allows you to identify the problems you may encounter in the long term with such a domain.

You can also use a tool such as the Wayback Machine to check what content the old site contained (and make sure it was not spammy content related to poker, pornography, etc.). This also makes it possible to determine whether the domain contained content thematically aligned with your own site. This is the ideal situation, because Google may know the type of content that can be expected on such a domain.

Crawling your own site

It is worth using Sitebulb or ScreamingFrog to analyse your site in order to obtain complete information about URLs and content. They are used not only to fix issues in the site preview, but also to direct old URLs to new URLs in the 301 redirect map.

This also makes it possible to prioritise the content being moved and to indicate which links should be updated to reflect the new URL structure.

Prioritising the SEO importance of the site URLs to be redirected

First, the site is analysed in order to extract the URLs published within the domain. Next, data about such URLs is compiled from analytics and SEO data sources, including Google Analytics, Majestic, SEMRush, etc. This makes it possible to assess which content on the site has the highest value in terms of search engines. This, in turn, makes it possible to prioritise content, 301 redirects and other elements of the website migration process.

Beyond prioritisation, it is possible to determine which content requires updating, merging or removal. It is worth spending additional time prioritising URLs on the site so that the most important content functions properly, and any missing or outdated content is created or updated in order to achieve the best possible SEO visibility.

Implementing 301 redirects

It is essential to create a complete 301 redirect map in the SEO migration assessment spreadsheet and implement it on the site. This helps ensure that the URLs of the old site redirect correctly to the new URLs and internal links redirect correctly if they were missed. It is important to analyse this map before implementing the changes to make sure the redirects are not faulty, and after the site goes live to make sure everything is being redirected properly.

Simply create one column with the current/old URLs and a second column with the list of new URLs. The type of such file depends entirely on the preference of the developer and CMS specialist, so it is worth discussing this with them before preparing the redirect file.

Updating internal links

After updating the new URLs, you should go to the test site and start updating internal links, to avoid internal redirects or broken pages. Internal links can be found using the ScreamingFrog tool, together with the content of their anchors and the pages on which they are located.

Creating a custom 404 page

It is worth creating an engaging and compelling 404 page that users will see when they land on a broken page. Such a 404 page should help them navigate to the homepage or other subpages they are looking for. Not having a 404 page results in a blank page being displayed, which does not allow navigation and means users will simply leave it.

Updating the XML sitemap

You need to make sure that all new URLs have been included. You need to create a new XML sitemap that will be linked to the website (https://www.twojadomena.com/sitemap.xml) and submit it to Google Search Console.

This will allow Google and other search engines to find important pages with information about services, products or business activity. New URLs can therefore be indexed and displayed in search results. This should be done as soon as possible after the site is published, because Google records such changes quickly, and the key issue is for them to be indexed and to generate traffic on them.

Notifying Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools about your domain change

When updating your domain, you should use the Change of Address function in Google Search Console. This will inform Google that the domain has changed and can be found at the new URL. It is also worth using the Site Move Tool in Bing Webmaster Tools to notify Bing about the site move, so that the search engine can start indexing the new URLs. This should be done as soon as possible after the website is published.

Focusing on mobile-friendliness

Google indexes mobile pages first. This means that before indexing, Google checks the user experience on mobile devices. Creating a site adapted to such devices and browsers will ensure the site is properly positioned. Google and other search engines prefer responsive design, so you should not build an entirely new mobile version of the site.

If you are not sure whether a given site is mobile-friendly, you can use Google’s tool, which evaluates the site and provides recommendations that help improve the mobile user experience. This, in turn, has a positive impact on site visibility.

Migration or adding Schema

In 2011, the largest search engines, such as Google, Bing, Yandex and Yahoo! created a shared set of data markers that webmasters can use to help bots better understand the meaning of pages and their information. This shared set of markers is called Schema.org.

People who have not implemented Schema on their website should do so. It is not a direct ranking factor, but research has shown that it can help improve SEO and allows for better snippets, which lead to better click-through rates.

If you already have Schema or markers on your site, you need to take them into account during your migration. Schema migration can be carried out in many ways, which are presented below.

Copying and pasting Schema into the main content

First, you need to determine whether the Schema or structured data markup is based on HTML or JavaScript. Many experts prefer JavaScript, because this solution provides better control and the ability to add more elements.

It is worth meeting with the web development team and discussing which options are available and how Schema can best be implemented. From that point on, you should copy or update the Schema to the preferred type and begin implementation with awareness of updates to URLs, title tags, images and other copy.

Distributing Schema through GTM

You can also add Schema via GTM, but this is not recommended. Even Google advises against using Google Tag Manager to implement structured data markup.

Implementing Schema using a plugin

If you have a WordPress site or are moving to this platform, there are many plugins available to help implement Schema on the website. However, it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the options of the plugin based on the CMS that is being used or to which you are migrating. Jooma offers many useful extensions, as does Umbraco. It is worth checking how the web development team can implement the CMS so that editors can add content to the site.

If the above options do not work, Google also offers the Structured Data Markup Highlighter, helping those who are less inclined to use code. This is a huge help for many clients. It is worth trying this solution through Google Search Console.

Updating the Robots.txt file

The robots.txt file tells search engine bots which pages or files are available or unavailable when it comes to requesting them. Usually this file is located at www.twojastrona.com/robots.txt. You need to make sure that the robots.txt file is updated. This will let Google know which parts of the site it can and cannot crawl. In this file, it is also worth adding the new XML sitemap of URLs. In this way, Google and other search engines will be able to find it.

You should also submit the URL of your robots.txt file in Google Search Console. This way, the search engine is aware of the existence of this file and can crawl it.

Updating external links

Without a doubt, the old site has backlinks pointing to it. This is especially true for location pages or pages containing valuable documents. You need to go to Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Moz Link Explorer, Majestic or any preferred backlink tool to see which pages have acquired backlinks.

Then you need to reach out to the linking pages and update the backlinks so that you can retain their equity. This will take some time, so have someone keep track of those backlinks and report when a backlink has been updated.

Maintaining control of the old domain

You need to maintain control of the old domain and the right to its name. This will help ensure that all backlinks pointing to it are properly redirected. Giving up such a domain means that someone can take it over and build a site on it – in this way, backlinks are lost.

Instead, it is much better to keep the domain and retain the equity built up over the years.

Conducting QA and an SEO audit before and after launch

Before and after the migration and launch of the site, you should carry out an SEO audit to confirm that all pages, content, links, such and mobile elements are taken into account and in the right place. All elements that fulfil SEO tasks must be in place before the migration. They then need to be transferred correctly together with the site. To carry out such an audit, the following steps are necessary:

Conducting an analysis – you should use Screaming Frog to carry out a quick site crawling. You should analyse for:

• broken pages (4xx),
• redirects (3xx),
• broken images,
• missing meta tags,
• duplicate content,
• missing or incorrect canonical tags,
• “noindex” subpages

It is also worth checking a few additional aspects in terms of responsive devices and analytics.

• Analytics check – you should check whether Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are correctly installed on the site and collecting data. The quickest way to do this is to use the Real-Time Analytics report in Google Analytics, as it provides insight into what the site is doing in real time.
• Mobile device test – all you need to do is take out your phone and visit your website. First, check whether the site is responsive and functions properly on a mobile device. Then confirm whether the layout, design and functionality work properly. It is worth using the Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check whether Google considers the site mobile-friendly, and if not, it will tell you what needs to be done to meet the guidelines.
• Make sure that all integrations work properly – this applies not only to Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, but also to CRM, marketing automation, personalisation, eCommerce, live chat and other tools essential for running the site.
• Check for broken backlinks – this makes it possible to find out which subpages have backlinks before publication and then point them to the correct page after launch. However, it is important to remember that tools such as the links reports in Search Console and Majestic provide additional insight into broken links. You can then update the backlinks you have access to or contact the site owners and ask them to update the backlinks so that they point to the new URLs.