The website migration process can be a daunting task, and if you’re not careful with your website’s SEO, the entire thing could go out the window.
This is why it is important to make sure that you have a website migration checklist in place before you start migrating any content.
By following this website migration SEO checklist, you will be able to keep your SEO running strong and avoid any problems during the website migration phase.
An outdated website is not a good representation of your company.
Web designers advise that a website redesign should be done every 2-3 years, even if it’s just a facelift. In other cases, you may be facing site migration.
What is a site migration?
Website migration is the process of redesigning the website and moving it to another website hosting service. Website migrations are necessary when your current web host has certain limitations, or you want to change for other reasons. It also can be done if you need additional features, such as website hosting for an e-commerce website.
Why might you migrate a website?
Here are the things that make a site migration better than just a simple change.
– website hosting limitations
– outdated website design
– website redesign for a facelift
– company changes, such as new branding or look and feel
What should you consider before migrating your website?
First, make sure that the website migration checklist is followed so that you can avoid any problems during the website migration phase and keep your SEO running strong:
– New website content should be created before migrating site contents to ensure a seamless switch from old to new. Content may have been blocked or taken down by the website owner or company.
– The website migration checklist should be followed to avoid any SEO problems during the website migration phase.
– Make sure you have enough bandwidth available for your website hosting service and make sure that it is a reputable site host. (We recommend WPX)
– You will need a new domain name, website design templates, and SSL certificate if applicable.
– You will need to promote the website with a website launch or relaunch strategy.
– Make sure that you have enough time and resources for website migration before starting it, as there is no going back if mistakes are made during the website migration phase.
Did You Know: WPX offer website migration from other servers for FREE, while other platform charges 99$ for migration. It is also one of the fastest servers for WordPress with free cloud CDN configuration.
Website Migration Checklist
There is a website migration SEO checklist that all website owners should consider before migrating their website in case they want to preserve the site’s SEO and rankings while making changes.
-Create an Excel spreadsheet with links to all of your existing web pages, articles, blog posts, etc.
-Create website pages and articles with the same titles as your old ones. This will help website visitors find what they are looking for when they search on Google or other major search engines.
-Update metadata, such as title tags and descriptions, in order to provide a better representation of your website’s content after the migration has occurred.
-Update your website’s navigation menu. This will help website visitors easily find what they are looking for and keep them on the website rather than getting frustrated by a difficult-to-use website that has changed too much from their previous visit.
-Use 301 redirects to tell search engines about any pages or articles you have moved, so those links won’t be flagged as “dead links,” and website visitors will still end up on the pages they were looking for.
-Update your website’s sitemap, so new web pages, articles, or blog posts are included after the migration has taken place.
-Create a list of keywords to add to all website content in order to make it more relevant to website visitors and to ensure that it is properly optimized for search engines.
-Test the website thoroughly before you publish migration or new content so you can find any bugs or errors. This will help avoid a lot of frustration from website viewers when they visit your website after the migration has taken place but are unable to navigate or use certain features on the website.
-Publish website content or migration if it is ready, and monitor website traffic to make sure that the website migration checklist has been followed properly along with all other steps taken during this process. When you are revamping your site, SEMrush can help to identify problems that third-party tools might miss.
– Monitor website speed during migration to ensure it isn’t slower than before or after the website migration phase.
– Optimize website images for web pages, articles, and blog posts with the same keywords used in other website content so they will be displayed on google search result more prominently when someone is doing a keyword search.
– Use website tweaks to make sure website and blog post-performance are at their peak by checking for errors or slow loading times in the front end, backend, and database-level of website hosting service.
– Monitor website rankings with tools like SEMrush so you can find out if your SEO has been negatively impacted during the migration phase; this tool will also help to identify website problems that other third-party tools might miss.
– Make sure to monitor the website migration checklist throughout all phases of website migration and afterward as well so you can track any changes in website performance and traffic.
The website migration process can be a daunting task, but making sure you have a website migration checklist in place will help keep your SEO running strong.
