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Top SEO considerations for website migration

 


Top SEO considerations for website migration

Migrating a website, whether due to a rebrand, platform change, domain shift or structural overhaul, can be a huge step. It should be undertaken with thorough and proper planning; otherwise, it can cause major damage to your search engine rankings and user experience. A poorly executed migration might result in lost traffic, broken links, or de-indexed pages.

This guide outlines out top 9 things to consider when migrating your website to protect your SEO, maintain visibility during and after the move and retain optimal user experience.

1. Set clear migration goals

Before making any changes, define the “why” behind your migration. Common reasons include:

  • rebranding or changing domain name;
  • upgrading to a more modern CMS or platform;
  • improving site structure or performance;
  • consolidating multiple websites.

Knowing your objectives will help determine which SEO considerations take priority.

2. Conduct a full SEO audit of the current site

Document everything about your existing site:

Tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and Ahrefs can help gather this data. It’s critical to know what’s working so you don’t lose it during migration.

3. Preserve URL structures where possible

If you don’t need to change your URLs, don’t.

Keeping URLs the same helps search engines retain page authority and user familiarity.

If changes are necessary, ensure:

  • URLs are logical and SEO-friendly;
  • Redirections are mapped (see below, “set up 301 redirections”);
  • Old URLs are tracked for performance.

4. Set up 301 redirects correctly

If you’ve been unable to retain the same URL structure, you’ll need to set up redirects from old URLs to the new ones. Redirects tell search engines and users where to find moved content.

A proper 301 redirect permanently transfers link equity (SEO value) to the new URL.

  • Create a comprehensive redirect map (old URL → new URL);
  • Use 301 (not 302) for permanent changes;
  • Avoid redirect chains or loops;
  • Redirect page to page, not simply all URLs to the homepage, as this will be bad for SEO and create a poor UX (user experience).

5. Update internal links and navigation

After migration, make sure all internal links:

  • point to the new URLs (not redirected ones);
  • are not broken (no 404s);
  • reflect any updated site structure.

Updating internal links reduces crawl time and improves user experience and link equity flow.

6. Check site speed and mobile usability

Google considers both mobile usability and site speed as ranking factors. When you migrate:

Slow or clunky pages can cause ranking drops and user frustration.

7. Test everything before launching your new site

Before going live:

  • set up a staging environment (non-indexed test site);
  • crawl the new site to identify issues (broken links, missing metadata, images not loading);
  • check robots.txt and XML sitemap;
  • verify that Google analytics (GA4) and other tracking codes are properly installed.

A final audit before pushing live prevents costly mistakes.

8. Monitor SEO performance post-migration

Once the new site is live:

  • re-submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console;
  • monitor crawl errors, index coverage and performance;
  • track keyword rankings and traffic daily for the first few weeks;
  • watch for dips in organic traffic and investigate promptly.

SEO changes often take time to settle, but ongoing monitoring helps you catch and fix any issues early.

9. Communicate the change, particularly if there’s a new URL

Tell your users, staff and any other stakeholders about your new site:

  • Update social media and directory listings with new URLs if applicable;
  • Inform team members and partners so they can update links;
  • Update links on, for example, eDM platforms like MailChimp.

This helps retain referral traffic and builds trust with users.

For a successful migration, plan, preserve, and protect your SEO

Website migration doesn’t have to come with a drop in traffic, engagement or rankings, but it does require planning, precision, and follow-up. Use our checklist to make sure your website migration delivers an optimal experience for users and key triggers and notifiers for search engines.

And one last word, always back up your old site and data before making any changes… just in case.

Contacting Social Hive

📞  0412 338 376

📧  hello@socialhive.com.au

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