Website migration SEO checklist: migrate without losing traffic
A migration — a new domain, platform, template or URL structure — is when sites most often lose Google traffic. Three things matter most: a complete map of 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones, a record of the SEO state before the change, and daily checks for several weeks afterwards.
Types of migration
- domain change (rebranding, merging sites),
- platform or CMS change (moving a store to another engine),
- URL structure change (new category and product paths),
- moving to https or changing the www version,
- a new template without URL changes — still a migration: it changes titles, H1s, canonicals and internal links.
The more you change at once, the higher the risk. Split the migration into stages if you can.
Before the migration
- List every URL: from a crawl, sitemaps, Google Search Console and analytics (pages with traffic and links).
- Build a redirect map: each old URL → one new equivalent, no redirects to the homepage.
- Record the SEO state of key pages: title, description, H1, canonical, meta robots, status code.
- Check staging: no noindex, robots.txt block or password protection that could reach production.
- Prepare new sitemaps and make sure they list only URLs returning 200.
On launch day
- Deploy 301 redirects — not 302.
- Check a sample of old URLs with the redirect checker: one hop, a 301, a target returning 200, no chains.
- Check the new robots.txt —
Disallow: /from staging is a classic. - Check meta robots and headers — no noindex anywhere it shouldn't be.
- Check canonicals — they must point to new URLs, not old ones and not staging.
- Submit the new sitemaps in Search Console; for a domain change, use Change of Address.
After the migration: the first weeks
- check status codes and redirects of key old and new URLs every day,
- watch the Search Console Pages report: 404s, "Page with redirect", "Redirect error",
- compare titles, H1s and canonicals of new pages with the pre-migration state,
- watch the number of URLs in the new sitemaps,
- update internal links so they point straight to new URLs.
Common migration mistakes
| Mistake | Result |
|---|---|
| some URLs left without redirects | 404s, lost traffic and links |
| 302 instead of 301 | old URLs linger in results |
| everything redirected to the homepage | soft 404s, lost rankings for subpages |
noindex or Disallow: / from staging | the site drops out of the index |
| canonicals pointing to old URLs | conflicting signals, Google chooses itself |
| unplanned title and H1 changes | ranking drops for main keywords |
How IndexRise helps with a migration
IndexRise saves a baseline of your pages before the change and compares the new state with it every night: status codes, redirects and loops, noindex, canonical, robots.txt, title, description, H1 and sitemaps. You see a post-launch mistake the next day, not after traffic drops.
Frequently asked questions
How much traffic do you lose in a migration?
With a well-run migration the dip is usually small and short — Google needs a few weeks to transfer signals to the new URLs. Large, lasting drops usually come from mistakes: missing redirects, noindex, wrong canonicals or a robots.txt block.
How long should I keep redirects after a migration?
Permanently, or at least a year. Links from other sites and users' bookmarks point to old URLs for years.
Do I need to tell Google about a domain change?
Yes. When moving domains, use the Change of Address tool in Search Console on the old property, after setting up 301 redirects and verifying the new domain.
When is the best time to migrate?
During a quieter period, not right before your peak season. Plan several weeks for monitoring and fixes after launch.
Updated: 2026-10-20