Migrating a website is like moving a house—you need a solid plan, the right tools, and a checklist to make sure nothing gets left behind. If you’re about to make the move, don’t do it without this comprehensive SEO checklist for website migration.

In this guide, you’ll get a step-by-step SEO framework that ensures your rankings, organic traffic, and search visibility remain intact throughout the entire migration process.

 

Why SEO Is Crucial During Website Migration
Website migration isn’t just a technical move—it’s a major SEO event. If done without an SEO plan, you risk:

• A drop in Google rankings.
• Broken links and crawl errors.
• Loss of backlinks and domain authority.
• Traffic drop-offs and frustrated users.

This is where our SEO checklist for website migration comes into play. Let’s break it down.

 

Pre-Migration SEO Checklist
Your prep phase is where you lay the foundation. Here’s what you need to do before going live with your new site:

1. Benchmark Your Current SEO Performance
Crawl your current website using tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb

Record your top-performing pages (traffic, rankings, backlinks)

Export current keyword rankings via Google Search Console or a tool like Ahrefs

Download your existing sitemap and robots.txt files

Why it matters: You need a clear “before” snapshot to track and fix any changes post-migration.

 

2. Map Out URL Redirects (301s)
Create a 1:1 URL mapping between old and new pages

Use 301 redirects (not 302) to pass SEO equity to the new URLs

Avoid redirect chains and loops

Pro tip: Use Excel or Google Sheets to manage and test your redirects at scale.

 

3. Backup Your Current Website
Always take a full backup before touching anything. This should include:

All HTML/CSS/JS files

Media assets (images, videos, PDFs)

Database and plugins

Your SEO tools and configuration

 

4. Block Indexing of the Staging Site
Never allow Google to index your staging environment.

Use noindex meta tags

Block via robots.txt

Add HTTP authentication (basic auth)

Why it matters: Indexing your test site can create duplicate content issues and confuse search engines.

 

5. Prepare Your New Site for SEO
Use a clean, crawlable structure

Ensure mobile-friendliness and responsive design

Optimize load speed (under 3 seconds)

Use consistent internal linking

Install essential SEO plugins/tools (e.g., Rank Math, Yoast)

 

Migration Day SEO Checklist
Time to flip the switch. Here’s what to check while launching the new version of your website:

6. Implement 301 Redirects
Upload your 301 redirect rules:

Apache: .htaccess

Nginx: server config

CMS: use redirect plugins or SEO tools

Test them with Screaming Frog or HTTP status checker to ensure they’re working correctly.

 

7. Upload Your Updated Sitemap and Robots.txt
Remove references to old URLs

Submit the updated sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

Double-check that important pages are not being blocked by robots.txt

 

8. Set Up Canonical Tags Correctly
Avoid duplicate content by specifying the canonical version of each page

Ensure all canonicals point to live, indexable URLs

 

9. Update Internal Links and Navigation
Fix internal links to avoid 404s

Make sure menus, buttons, and CTAs point to the new URLs

Update anchor text if needed to match keyword strategy

 

10. Monitor for Crawl Errors in Real-Time
Use:

Google Search Console (Coverage Report, Crawl Stats)

Screaming Frog live crawl

Ahrefs/Semrush site audit tools

Look out for 404s, redirect loops, and blocked resources.

 

Post-Migration SEO Checklist
Once the new site is live, don’t sit back just yet. The next 30–60 days are critical.

11. Monitor Keyword Rankings and Traffic
Track rankings daily for the first 2 weeks

Compare with your pre-migration benchmarks

Look for major drops or anomalies

Tools: Ahrefs, SEMrush, SERPWatcher, Google Search Console

 

12. Monitor Indexing and Crawl Status
Ensure your new pages are getting indexed

Use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console

Watch out for crawl spikes or dips

 Tip: Don’t expect instant results—give search engines a few days to adjust.

 

13. Reclaim and Update Backlinks
Identify top backlinks using Ahrefs/Moz

Reach out to referring sites and ask them to update their links (especially if you changed domains)

Check referral traffic in Google Analytics to spot broken backlink paths

 

14. Update Business Listings and External Profiles
If you changed your domain:

Update NAP (Name, Address, Phone) info

Change website URLs on social media, review sites, and business directories

Check citations for consistency

 

15. Submit Change of Address in Google Search Console (If You Changed Domains)
Don’t skip this one:

Go to your old domain in Google Search Console

Use the “Change of Address” tool to notify Google

This helps consolidate signals and accelerates reindexing.

 

SEO-Friendly Migration Bonus Tips
Don’t launch on a Friday—give yourself time to troubleshoot

Avoid migrating during peak business seasons

Always test the migration on a staging site first

Keep both sites (old & new) online briefly if possible for safety

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does it take for SEO to recover after migration?

If done properly, rankings should return to normal within 2–6 weeks. Large sites or domain changes might take longer.

Can a website migration improve SEO?

Yes! If your old site had technical issues (slow speed, poor structure, non-mobile-friendly), a new optimized version can lead to better rankings.

What’s the best tool for checking redirect chains?

Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Ahrefs’ Site Audit are great for detecting redirect loops or chains.

Should I disavow backlinks after migration?

Only disavow links if they were already harming your SEO. Migration is not a reason to mass disavow backlinks.

 

Conclusion

Migrating your website is a big move—but it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your hard-earned SEO. By following this SEO checklist for website migration, you’ll ensure a smooth transition with minimal ranking loss and maximum visibility.

Need expert help managing your SEO during migration? Our professional website migration service handles everything from redirect setup to traffic monitoring. Let’s move your site safely—without the SEO headaches.

If you need guidelines on the step-by-step process of website migration, click here.