An SEO plan for your site migration
When your domain, platform, CMS or URL structure changes, I plan the migration end to end so organic traffic does not get lost on the way. Every step has a checklist, from inventory to launch day and index monitoring.
In shortA site migration service plans and checks how existing rankings and traffic carry over when a domain, platform, CMS or URL structure changes. It suits businesses preparing to move to a new site, domain or platform. The deliverables are a URL inventory, a 301 redirect map, a staging report, a launch day checklist and a post-migration report.
When do you need this service?
- You are changing your domain or merging two sites under one domain
- You are moving from one CMS or e-commerce platform to another
- A redesign is changing your URL structure or category tree
- You have already migrated and organic traffic dropped
What does it cover?
Pre-migration inventory and crawl
I crawl the entire current site and record every URL with its status code, canonical, title and internal link count. I add the URLs that get clicks in Search Console or have external links.
301 redirect map
I map every old URL one to one to the new URL closest in content. Redirecting all old pages to the home page does not pass their signals, so I do not use blanket redirects.
Staging checks
Before launch I crawl the new site on staging and compare titles, canonicals, hreflang, schema and internal links with the old site, using technical SEO audit checks. I flag the search engine block on staging so it is removed at launch.
Launch day checklist
I prepare the items to check in order at launch: redirects return 301, robots.txt and noindex blocks are lifted, the new sitemap is submitted, analytics tags fire. If the domain changes, I also use the Change of Address tool in Search Console.
Post-migration index and traffic tracking
In the first weeks I watch old URLs leave the index and new URLs enter it in Search Console. I add the 404s that surface to the redirect map and compare traffic with the pre-migration period.
How does the work run?
- 01
Inventory
Before the migration date I crawl the current site and set the scope and timeline with you.
- 02
Redirect map and testing
I map old URLs to new ones and audit the new site on staging. I track the fixes in the same task list as your developers.
- 03
Launch day
I work through the checklist at launch and test redirects against the full map, not a handful of sample URLs.
- 04
Follow-up
In the weeks after launch I monitor index status, 404s and traffic. The timeline follows the phases of my 90-day process.
What do I deliver?
- A pre-migration URL inventory
- A 301 redirect map that pairs old and new URLs one to one
- A staging audit report
- A launch day checklist
- A post-migration report comparing index and traffic with the period before
How do I measure success?
- New URLs getting indexed and old URLs dropping out of the index
- Share of URLs in the redirect map that return a 301 in a single hop
- Organic clicks by page group compared with the pre-migration period
See how a pre-migration audit is reported in the anonymized sample report.
Old URLs reach their new addresses through temporary (302) redirects. Search engines may not treat the move as permanent and can keep the old addresses in the index.
BeforeRedirect 302 /old-category/ https://yoursite.com/new-category/Redirect 301 /old-category/ https://yoursite.com/new-category/Frequently asked questions.
Will I lose rankings when I migrate my site?
A short period of fluctuation is normal, while lasting losses mostly come from planning mistakes. Google notes that rankings can fluctuate temporarily while a site with changed URLs is recrawled. A one-to-one redirect map and pre-launch testing reduce the risk, but I do not promise zero loss.
How long does a site migration take?
Preparation takes a few weeks depending on the size of the site and has to finish before launch. In my 90-day process the inventory and testing sit in the first four weeks, launch in weeks 5-8 and follow-up in weeks 9-12.
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 is a permanent redirect and a 302 is a temporary one. A permanent move uses 301 because it tells search engines that the new address has replaced the old one.
How long should redirects stay in place?
As long as possible, and at least one year, which is also what Google recommends. If old addresses still receive external links, never remove the redirects.
My traffic dropped after a migration. What can be done?
You can still act after the migration, and the sooner the better. I rebuild the old site's URL list from Search Console, sitemaps and archive records and find the missing or wrong redirects.
You may also find these useful
- All servicesAll seven modules and how they combine.
- UX and conversion optimizationI use Microsoft Clarity to see where incoming traffic gets stuck.
- The 90-day working processThe order and outputs of each service.
Let's migrate without losing traffic.
Tell me what you plan to move and when. In the first call I'll map the preparation your timeline needs.
What happens in the first call?
- I listen to your goalIn a short call we talk through your goals, your site's history and what has been done so far.
- We look at your site togetherI share what stands out in your technical foundation, content and AI visibility during the call.
- I send a tailored scopeAfter the call I send the scope of work and the quote in writing. No fixed packages, the decision is yours.
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