Complete Website Migration Checklist to Preserve SEO & Traffic

Create a Website Migration Plan

Define the goal of the website migration project:
Clearly outline why you're migrating your website. It can be due to a platform change, a domain switch, or a site redesign.

Gather all the insights about your current site:
Collect data on rankings, traffic, backlinks, indexed pages, and conversion rates to measure post-migration performance.

Set a timeline and launch date:
Create a realistic schedule that includes buffer time for testing, QA, and unexpected issues.

Benchmark all the existing data and KPIs:
Document current site performance (traffic, rankings, conversions) to compare with post-migration performance.

Pre-Migration Planning

Develop a work plan with SEO and development teams:
Align tasks between technical and marketing teams to ensure SEO is not forgotten in the technical shuffle.

Choose the right CMS platform:
Choose a content management system that supports SEO best practices, meets your business needs, and is scalable.

Back up the existing website:
Save a full backup of your current site in case you need to restore or compare later.

Conduct a content and page inventory:
List and categorize all existing pages to ensure important content is migrated and nothing valuable is left behind.

Identify and prioritize high-value pages:
Pay extra attention to pages that generate the most traffic, conversions, or backlinks.

Audit the current internal linking structure:
Understand how your pages link together to replicate or improve them during migration.

Check for crawl errors and duplicate content:
Resolve any existing SEO issues before you move them to a new platform.

Pre-Launch Development

Purchase the new domain (if applicable):
Ensure the domain is secured and properly registered before proceeding.

Configure DNS settings and test propagation:
Make sure your DNS changes are correctly configured and ready for launch.

Select reliable hosting:
Use a fast, secure host that can handle traffic surges during and after launch.

Transition from HTTP to HTTPS:
Secure the new site with an SSL certificate if you haven’t already.

Map URLs for 301 redirects:
Create a full redirect map from old URLs to new ones to preserve SEO equity.

Develop the site on a staging server:
Build and test your new site in a secure environment before going live.

Limit access to the staging site:
Use noindex tags and password protection to prevent search engines from indexing the test site.

Set up GA4 and test tracking:
Ensure that all analytics tracking codes are implemented and firing correctly on the staging environment.

Perform full QA and browser testing:
Check for broken links, design issues, responsiveness, and load speed across all devices and browsers.

Run a technical SEO audit:
Scan the staging site using tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to catch SEO errors early.

Give Googlebot temporary access to staging (optional):
Only if you want to pre-test indexation with search engines, but use with caution.

Develop a metadata strategy:
Make sure title tags, meta descriptions, and schema markup are properly optimized.

Update DNS TTL (Time to Live) settings:
Lower TTL before launch to allow faster propagation of DNS changes.

Update URLs and canonical tags on the staging site:
Ensure canonical tags reflect the new structure and don't point to staging URLs.

Create and test new XML sitemaps and robots.txt:
Ensure they accurately reflect the new site structure and follow SEO best practices.

Website Migration (Launch Phase)

Launch and promote your new site:
Go live at a low-traffic time, notify stakeholders, and start your communication plan.

Update DNS settings:
Point your domain to the new hosting server for live site delivery.

Remove temporary blocks from the staging site:
Remove password protection and noindex tags to allow search engines to crawl.

Verify the website in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools:
Ensure ownership of your new site and gain access to reporting tools.

Submit updated XML sitemap and robots.txt:
Help search engines understand the new structure and what to index.

Crawl and audit the live website:
Run a full crawl of the new site to find missing redirects, broken links, or orphan pages.

Review structured data and schema markup:
Ensure structured data is still valid post-migration.

Review and update canonical tags:
Make sure they reflect your final URLs and not old or staging URLs.

Check for redirect chain errors and loops:
Use tools to verify that all 301s are functioning efficiently and cleanly.

Post-Migration Checks and Monitoring

Monitor indexation and crawl stats:
Use Search Console to track how many pages are indexed and detect crawl issues.

Check site speed and Core Web Vitals:
Run performance tests using PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to ensure fast load times.

Verify that all forms, CTAs, and ecommerce functionality work:
Test user flows, transactions, and lead capture points to ensure a smooth UX.

Confirm email functionality and contact forms:
Check that emails triggered by forms are being received and functioning.

Verify third-party integrations and licenses:
Ensure tools like CRMs, email marketing, or plugins are functioning and properly licensed.

Confirm that caching and CDN systems are active:
Improve load time and reduce server load with proper caching and content delivery settings.

Compare performance to the old website:
Benchmark your KPIs like traffic, bounce rate, and conversions against pre-migration data.

Check backlinks and update key referring domains:
Reach out to major linking sites to update URLs if needed.

Identify any drop in rankings and diagnose causes:
Monitor ranking drops using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush and take corrective action.

Create a post-migration report:
Document what went well, what didn’t, and insights for future migrations.

SEO Strategy Alignment

Audit keyword targeting:
Ensure target keywords are still being used effectively across new pages.

Redirect strategy:
Implement 301 redirects for all changed or removed URLs to preserve SEO equity.

Preserve backlink value:
Identify and retain top-performing pages with backlinks using tools like Ahrefs or GSC.

Internal linking audit:
Update and optimize internal linking across the new site.

Set up canonical tags:
Prevent duplicate content issues by correctly implementing canonical tags on every page.

Analytics & Tracking Setup

Recreate key goals and events in GA4:
Set up the goals and events in GA4 to ensure you can track user actions such as completing purchases or submitting a contact form.

Set up Google Tag Manager (GTM):
Configure Google Tag Manager to simplify the management and deployment of tracking tags. This will help you update and monitor your marketing and analytics tools without modifying the website’s code.

Track important conversions:
Implement conversion tracking to monitor purchases or form submissions. This will help you evaluate the success of your marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement.

Compare pre- and post-launch data:
Analyze data from both before and after the launch to assess the impact of changes, identify trends, and evaluate whether the updates have met your goals for increased traffic, engagement, or conversions.

UX & Design Review

Check mobile responsiveness:
Run a mobile-friendliness test and verify on multiple mobile devices to ensure the new site functions well on smartphones. Use Google's Lighthouse tools to check mobile page speed and Core Web Vitals.

Validate accessibility standards:
Use automated testing tools like Axe or WAVE to scan your website for ADA and WCAG compliance issues. Review identified accessibility errors and fix them to ensure your site is usable for all users, including those with disabilities. Regularly retest throughout development to maintain compliance

Compare visual hierarchy:
Check every element of your new website. Ensure that all fonts, colors, and spacing align with your brand identity to create a cohesive visual hierarchy.

Test navigation paths:
Smooth navigation is essential for a user-friendly website. Make sure your website features easy and intuitive navigation. Your product/service pages or contact forms should be accessible within 2-3 clicks from the homepage.

Performance Optimization

Check Core Web Vitals:
Use Google PageSpeed Insights or the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console to measure your site’s loading, interactivity, and visual stability. Identify areas that need improvement to enhance user experience and meet Google’s performance standards.

Minify CSS/JS files:
Compress and remove unnecessary spaces, comments, and characters from your CSS and JavaScript files to reduce file size. Eliminate render-blocking resources to speed up page load times and improve overall site performance.

Use lazy loading:
Implement lazy loading to defer the loading of images and media that are offscreen, improving initial page load speed and reducing bandwidth usage.

Optimize image assets:
Compress images without losing quality and convert them to modern formats like WebP or AVIF to decrease file sizes and enhance loading performance.

Enable server-side caching/CDN:
Set up server-side caching and use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to store and deliver content from locations closer to your users, resulting in faster page load times globally.

Post-Migration SEO Monitoring

Monitor indexation in Google Search Console:
Regularly review the Coverage report to ensure your important pages are being crawled and indexed without errors or exclusions.

Track keyword rankings:
Use SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to track changes in keyword positions, spotting any sudden drops or improvements to adjust your strategy quickly.

Check crawl stats:
Keep an eye on crawl errors, redirect chains, and 404 pages in Search Console to identify and fix issues that could hurt your site’s SEO health.

Monitor backlink loss or gain:
Verify that key backlinks still point to your live pages and investigate any significant losses that might impact your authority and rankings.

Conduct regular technical SEO audits:
Schedule monthly audits post-migration to continuously assess and improve your site’s SEO health and fix any emerging issues promptly.

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Maria Harutyunyan

A well-structured approach is the cornerstone of successful SEO. That's why we’ve developed a series of in-depth checklists designed to streamline your SEO strategy. From building high-quality backlinks and optimizing your WordPress site to tackling on-page SEO and technical optimizations, our checklists offer precise, actionable steps to help you confidently navigate every aspect of SEO.

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