Website migration: checklist — how to move to a new domain/CMS without losing SEO

Moving a website to a new domain or changing CMS is a process that seems simple at first glance, but hides many pitfalls. If done incorrectly, the price will be high. You can lose traffic and search engine rankings, which leads to:

• decreased traffic;
• loss of customers;
• losses.

In this checklist, we have compiled the main steps that will help you transfer your resource without damaging your SEO — from planning and technical preparation to checking the results after launch.

When is website migration necessary

Moving a website is a serious step that is only justified when it is absolutely necessary. Among the important reasons are:

• domain transfer — relevant if the company changes its name or several resources merge;
• CMS change/platform update — required when the current system limits development: inconvenient URL structure, weak security, low performance;
• redesign and change of website structure — when completely changing the design or restructuring sections of the resource;
• technical reasons — the site often crashes, runs slowly, or has been hacked;
• scaling — if development and expansion of functionality is not possible on the current platform;
• entering international markets — when it is necessary to create separate versions of the site for different countries or languages.

Each of these situations requires an individual approach and competent planning. For example, when transferring a domain, it is important to correctly set up 301 redirects and notify search engines to minimize the decrease in traffic and link weight. If you plan to move to another CMS, you need to check the URL structure, metadata, and internal links, and/or create a redirect map in advance.

Preparing for the move

The better the preparation, the higher the chances that the site will maintain its positions. Pay attention to working with URLs and setting up redirects, and don't forget about testing and backing up so that you can quickly roll back changes if necessary.

URL map and redirects

One of the main tasks during migration is to set up redirects correctly. Don't forget the following points:

• a 301 redirect is an HTTP status code that tells search engines that “the page has permanently moved to a new address.” This allows you to maintain your position in search results and transfer link weight to the new address. It is better to set them up at the server level, avoiding intermediate transitions;
• preserving the structure — to avoid losing anything, create a map of old and new addresses. Start by exporting all URLs and pay special attention to pages that bring traffic or have external links. This will help you avoid mistakes and make redirects as accurate as possible;
• avoid chains — make sure that redirects lead directly to the final address. This speeds up loading and reduces the risk of losing SEO effect.

If you map URLs correctly and set up redirects, you can preserve the value of old pages, prevent traffic loss, and make the move as safe as possible for SEO.

Backup and testing

Before you start the transfer, be sure to back up your files, databases, and server configurations. A complete copy of the site will allow you to quickly restore the resource, so it is a must-have insurance policy for migration.

A test version will help you make sure that everything works correctly: from redirects and links to forms and analytics. Therefore, be sure to run it before release. You should check:

• the correctness of 301 redirects;
• the absence of duplicate pages and redirect chains;
• metadata (title, meta);
• the correct operation of forms and scripts, robots.txt, and sitemap;
• loading speed;
• mobile adaptation;
• the absence of technical errors;
• analytics codes (GA/GTAG).

After launching the website, you need to immediately test it using a special program (crawler) that will evaluate the correctness of all pages and links and compare the results with the test version. This will ensure that the website is working correctly and will not lose traffic after migration.

How to maintain your search rankings

Website migration is always stressful for SEO. But if you do it right, you can maintain your search rankings with virtually no loss. The main thing is to notify search engines about the move and test the new version of the website for errors.

Updating Google Search Console

Once the domain has been redirected, it is important to ensure that all 301 redirects are set up correctly. This allows search engines to understand that the pages have moved to new addresses and transfer their accumulated SEO weight to them.

Use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console to notify Google of the domain change. Add and confirm both the old and new versions of the site. Send the updated sitemap.xml to Google Search Console, which search engines need to find and index the resource's pages faster. Don't forget to update internal links, canonical tags, and external integrations (analytics, advertising pixels) — this will speed up the reindexing of the resource.

Checking indexing and errors

After release, it is important to test the site and check its status. Scanning with a crawler (e.g., Screaming Frog) will reveal unnoticed errors:

• broken links;
• incorrect redirects;
• duplicate pages and other issues.

In Google Search Console, track the “Index Coverage” reports and use the URL Inspection tool for important pages. Fixing 404 errors is a priority. For moved pages, set up 301 redirects to new URLs, and for permanently deleted pages, set the correct 404/410 status, but better yet, provide a useful replacement page. After making corrections, run a check in Search Console to ensure that the resource is working correctly.

To transfer your website to a new domain/CMS without losing SEO, contact the Megasite web studio in Kyiv. We have been offering website promotion and creation site in Ukraine for over 10 years and know how to migrate safely while maintaining your position and traffic. Entrust the move to professionals and get a working resource on a new domain without any drop in search results!