Website migrations can be tricky. Done right, they improve security, branding, and user experience. Done wrong, they can tank your rankings, traffic, and revenue.
SEO professionals often worry about losing valuable search visibility during migration—and for good reason. A poorly executed move can lead to broken links, lost content, and ranking drops.
The key? A solid migration strategy that prevents disruptions and ensures a smooth transition.
In this guide, we’ll walk through 16 essential website migration best practises to help you maintain your SEO performance and avoid common pitfalls.
The Website Migration Process: A 16-Step Checklist
We’ve broken this down into three main phases:
• Planning – Laying the groundwork before development begins.
• Pre-Migration – Setting up everything needed for a smooth transition.
• Post-Migration – Ensuring everything is working as expected after launch.
Let’s dive in.
Phase 1: Planning
Every successful migration starts with careful planning. Here’s what you need to do before making any changes.
1. Define Your Project Scope
Before you touch anything, take stock of your website:
• What do you want to achieve with this migration?
• Which parts of the site will be affected?
A clear goal and scope will prevent unnecessary disruptions.
2. Assign a Migration Team & Responsibilities
Who’s in charge? Your in-house SEO team or an outsourced SEO agency?
Set up a project management system so everyone knows their tasks and deadlines.
3. Align With Stakeholders & Other Departments
Migration isn’t just an SEO issue—it affects design, development, content, IT, and marketing.
Schedule a meeting to:
• Explain why the migration is happening.
• Gather input on specific needs.
• Set expectations for the process.
4. Set Timelines & Choose a Launch Date
Pick a low-traffic period for migration to minimise disruption.
• Avoid peak business hours.
• Consider launching in phases rather than all at once.
Phase 2: Pre-Migration Steps
This stage is all about preparation—minimising risks and setting the foundation for a smooth transition.
5. Run a Risk Assessment
Identify potential issues, such as:
• Traffic loss
• Broken links
• Technical SEO errors
Then, create a mitigation plan:
• Back up all content & settings before migration.
• Use a staging environment to test changes before going live.
• Set up 301 redirects to maintain SEO value.
6. Set Performance Benchmarks & Tracking
Before migrating, benchmark your current website performance so you can compare it to the new site later.
Key metrics to track:
• Core Web Vitals – Speed, interactivity, stability (Google PageSpeed Insights)
• Server Response Time – TTFB & performance (GTMetrix)
• Database Performance – Query execution times, indexing efficiency
• Website Analytics – Organic traffic, rankings, indexed pages, crawl errors (Google Analytics, Search Console, Ahrefs)
Also, make sure all target keywords are being tracked so you can measure ranking changes after migration.
7. Align Developers & SEOs on SEO Priorities
If the migration involves major technical changes (e.g., CMS switch, server move, site redesign), developers need to understand:
• URL structures
• Internal linking
• Canonical tags
• Page speed
• Mobile responsiveness
• Structured data
A proper URL mapping plan is critical—missing redirects can kill your rankings.
8. Document Everything
Save details about your:
• DNS settings
• CDN configurations
• Hosting environment
This ensures consistency and helps troubleshoot issues if needed.
9. Set Up a Staging Environment
Before launching, test everything in a closed staging environment:
• Block search engines (robots.txt, noindex tags, or password protection).
• Run a technical SEO audit to catch broken links, duplicate URLs, and missing metadata.
Tip: Always back up your staging site before pushing changes live.
10. Create a Content Inventory
List all existing pages and content so nothing gets lost during migration.
Sources for pulling data:
• Site crawlers (e.g., Screaming Frog)
• CMS exports
• Google Search Console
Also, identify high-value pages (pages with high traffic, backlinks, and conversions) to prioritise in the migration.
11. Plan & Implement 301 Redirects
Redirecting URLs properly ensures that SEO value is preserved.
• Use 301 redirects (not 302s).
• Map old URLs to the most relevant new pages—avoid redirecting everything to the homepage.
• Test redirects in staging to catch redirect chains.
12. Conduct Pre-Launch Checks
Run a final audit in the staging environment to verify:
• Redirects work correctly (no chains or loops)
• XML sitemap is valid
• robots.txt is updated
• URL structures follow SEO best practises
• Canonical URLs point to the right versions
• Structured data is implemented correctly
• Meta tags & internal linking are intact
Phase 3: Launch
13. Go Live & Promote the New Site
Once your site is live, remove all restrictions:
• Enable search engine crawling (update robots.txt & remove noindex tags).
• Ensure DNS records point to the correct servers.
• Run PPC campaigns to offset any temporary organic traffic dips.
Phase 4: Post-Migration Optimisation
14. Monitor & Optimise Performance
Closely track post-migration performance:
• Crawl errors
• Indexing issues
• Traffic fluctuations
• Rankings & conversions
Key tools:
• Google Search Console – Check for indexing errors.
• Google Analytics – Track user behaviour & traffic changes.
• Ahrefs / Semrush – Monitor backlinks & keyword rankings.
If traffic drops significantly, troubleshoot:
• Pages on the old site are still indexed.
• Slow load times.
• Broken redirects.
• Internal links are missing.
15. Update Technical Documentation
Document everything post-migration:
• Updated XML sitemap
• New redirect map
• Revised meta tags & titles
• Performance comparison reports
16. Implement Ongoing Maintenance
Website migration isn’t a one-time event—it requires ongoing monitoring.
• Set up alerts for SEO issues in Google Search Console.
• Regularly crawl your site for errors.
• Keep an eye on server and database performance.
Final Thoughts
Website migration can feel overwhelming, but a structured plan makes all the difference.
✓ Plan ahead to avoid surprises.
✓ Test everything before going live.
✓ Monitor performance to catch any issues early.
With the right approach, you can successfully migrate your website while maintaining (or even improving) your SEO rankings and user experience.
Contact Us
Need help with your website migration? Reach out to our team for expert support. 🚀