A successful SEO migration means your site’s performance and search engine rankings remain steady, even as you change your current site, domain, or architecture. Launching a new website or moving to a new domain can be an incredible growth opportunity, but site owners need to safeguard their SEO efforts and search traffic with the right strategy.
Ignoring the migration checklist can lead to lost keyword rankings, broken links, and reduced organic traffic. By following this actionable process, Australian businesses minimise any negative impact on their site migration and maintain strong search engine results across Google and Bing.
Why a Migration Checklist Safeguards Your Business
Any change to your existing website, especially a core domain migration or a shift to a new content management system, can disrupt search engines' understanding of your site. Without careful attention to SEO migration cost and risks, you could see rapid declines in website traffic and visibility.
A thorough migration SEO checklist addresses:
Changes in site structure and url structure
Technical SEO factors like core web vitals and site speed
Internal links and redirects from old URLs to new URLs
Proper handling of 301 redirects for all key pages
Maintaining link equity across your website architecture
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Preparation: Pre-Migration Steps
Preparation is where many successful SEO migrations begin. Laying the groundwork before you start your website migration process ensures that your site’s performance and rankings stay protected.
Benchmark and Audit Your Current Site
Start by auditing your site's SEO performance using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools. Record keyword rankings, organic traffic, and top-performing pages on your existing website.
List all current URLs and ensure internal links redirect properly.
Check site crawl health and site speed.
Review core web vitals for your live site.
Back up your content management system CMS and entire site, capturing metadata and images for safety.
Build a URL Mapping and Redirect Plan
Prepare a spreadsheet mapping old URLs to new URLs, planning precise 301 redirects for every migrated page. Make sure the site’s structure is clear to search engine crawlers and that none of your key metrics are lost during the migration process.
Technical SEO Migration Essentials
Once you’ve planned your approach, technical SEO is what helps search engines understand and navigate your new website effectively. Be thorough in this section, as missing just a few technical requirements can limit your search visibility.
Metatags, XML Sitemap, and Robots.txt
Transfer and optimise meta titles, descriptions, header tags, and canonical tags. Generate a fresh XML sitemap for the new site and update robots.txt to allow search engines full access.
Security and Site Accessibility
Activate SSL certificates for new domains and review domain change procedures to ensure the site is accessible and secure. Redirect all HTTP URLs to HTTPS for a seamless experience.
Internal Links and Site Architecture
Audit internal links, verifying they all point to the correct new URLs and key pages. This protects link equity and guides search engine crawlers through your new website architecture.
Migration Day: Launch Checklist
When you reach migration day, your preparation will pay off. Following a final, well-defined checklist ensures the launch runs smoothly and your site maintains its search engine rankings.
Choose the Right Time
Schedule the website migration process during low-traffic periods, giving your team a safety net for any unexpected issues.
Deploy Redirects and Submit Sitemaps
Check that all 301 redirects work and that there are no broken links or redirect chains. After this, submit your updated XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools so search engines can index your site properly.
Monitor Analytics and Tracking
Check that Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and other tracking tools are active.
Validate Site Health
Run a technical SEO audit on the live site using tools like Screaming Frog or site audit features in your CMS. Confirm mobile-friendliness, site speed, and accessibility.
After Migration: Post-Migration Monitoring
Maintaining strong SEO rankings after a migration means staying proactive. It’s important to keep monitoring your site’s performance and fix issues as soon as they’re detected.
Ongoing SEO Performance Review
Track keyword rankings, organic traffic, and site performance using previously recorded benchmarks. Spot and fix crawl errors and broken links promptly.
Redirection and Link Update
Test every redirect for success. Where possible, reach out to external websites or business and Bing Places listings to update links to your new URLs.
Check Content and Indexing
Review all migrated content, metadata, and core web vitals on your new website. Ensure pages are indexed and search engines understand your new site’s structure.
Keep Improving
Monitor site speed, search visibility, and technical SEO for weeks following migration, making adjustments as needed to maintain or grow your website's SEO.
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Avoid Common Migration Pitfalls
Planning is crucial, but knowing the common traps that lead to lost SEO efforts is equally important. Address these pitfalls at every stage to protect your search results.
Prevent Content Loss and Broken Links
Retain winning content from the old site and only trim where necessary. When removing pages, redirect them to closely relevant new pages.
Technical SEO and Site Crawl
Fix crawl errors, broken links, and mobile issues. Speed matters for users and search engine rankings, so monitor site speed and review core web vitals continuously.
Communication and Updates
Announce your website migration to users and partners, updating email and social posts to signal changes. Keep your website accessible and visible to search traffic at all times.
Best Practices for Australian Businesses
Every business has unique needs, environments, and objectives—but the foundations for a successful SEO migration remain consistent across the board. Following best practices helps ensure success.
Test migration on a staging site before the live launch.
Avoid major changes during core search engine algorithm updates.
Regularly audit your SEO efforts post-migration, refining redirects and fixing issues immediately.
Conclusion
A well executed SEO migration checklist ensures your move to a new website or domain doesn’t sacrifice years of SEO gains. Safeguard your search engine rankings, core web vitals, and site traffic by following these proven steps.
We offer SEO migration solutions designed for Australian businesses, making sure your search engine rankings, keyword rankings, and website traffic stay strong throughout your website migration process. Contact our approachable ACT Marketing team for guidance, peace of mind, and results that last.