Website Migration SEO Services
Moving a domain to a new content management system, or even a new server, can cause critical damage to your search engine presence, particularly if SEO best practices are not taken into account at every step of the process. Our comprehensive, 30-point checklist employs proprietary methodology to ensure for a truly proper website migration. Through the Stella Rising migration process, critical elements such as 301 redirects and on-page optimizations are covered, and traffic and ranking loss are minimized. We execute our Website Migration Checklist over a three- to six-month period, mitigating the risk of website drops. Elements include mapping out old website content, creating an optimal website structure, and much more.
Risks of Website Migrations for SEO
Unfortunately, the damage done to SEO from an improper website migration sometimes can’t be fixed. The Stella Rising team has even seen instances where the new website was executed in such a detrimental way that meaningful traffic from Google was made impossible, and the website had to be redone. Organic search generates anywhere from 30-90% of traffic that our clients receive, and all of it is at risk during a migration.
Often when new websites are created, web design agencies want to make things more “streamlined" or "UX friendly," or will even try to implement a “super-fast JS framework.” While these elements can be improvements, they can also go horribly awry; it is crucial that an SEO foundation is tantamount to any design improvements.
What to Ask Before a Website Migration
- Is the mapping of the legacy content being handled? Are you retiring content when the website is moved, and if so, how?
- Is your web development partner considering SEO? If yes, do they have the necessary expertise to carry you through without traffic loss?
- Are you ensuring that your new website has an optimal structure? Will your new website respect how search engines found the top-performing content on your current website?
- Is your tech stack conducive to search engine optimization?
SEO Site Launch & Migration Process
We have consulted on hundreds of site redesigns, original builds, and site migrations. That experience has powered the Stella Rising Website Migration SEO Services, which include everything required to minimize traffic loss and capitalize on a new website. We focus on ensuring a fantastic UX that supports conversion and organic search through the following deliverables:
PHASE 1
- Create a full scan of current website(s), identify URLs to 301 redirect, and record page-load times
- Export all backlinked pages to minimize loss of authority
- Ensure your team has access to Google Analytics and Google Search Console
- Use Google Keyword Planner to conduct keyword research and identify terms used for architecture planning and optimizations
- Review content architecture, keyword mapping, and content gap analysis
- Create recommendations for URL naming and structure for all pages on new site
PHASE 2
- 301 redirect mapping: a 1-1 list of every URL on the old website, pointing to where it lives on the new site
- XML sitemap, HTML sitemap and Robots.txt generation or optimization
- Recommendations of Title Tag & Meta templates by page type
- Schema markup generation and implementation
- Review or generate Open Graph tags and review implementation of sharing buttons
- Optimization of 404 page
- Duplicate Content Analysis
- Canonical tag recommendations
- Ensure browser compatibility, accessibility, conforming to HTML standards, mobile, etc.
- Check for broken links and minimize use of redirects on new site
- Communicating with other marketing teams regarding URL changes
PHASE 3
- Optimization of Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Header Tags for new site
- Ensure new site crawlability, compare page-load times to old site, and ensure all additional issues are accounted for
- Implementation of all tracking pixels (including GA and GSC) as well as Brightedge integration
- Final check of Robots.txt, xml sitemap, and GSC settings (parameter filtering, etc.)
- Implement and test redirects
LAUNCH DAY
- Notify Google Search Console of site migration and fetch new website
- Notify paid and social teams of updated URLS
- Use Test Robots.txt to trigger new cache of Robots.txt. Google will use a cached version
- Submit both NEW and OLD XML sitemap to Google Search Console
- Closely monitor traffic, rankings, and indexation of new website and make any necessary adjustments
If you are ready to get started with your website migration, reach out today. Or, if the planning stage has just begun, download our free website migration checklist to ensure that you are on track.
