Moving your website to a new domain can be an exciting step for your business—whether it’s part of a rebrand, a shift to a more user-friendly domain name, or for another strategic reason. However, one significant concern most businesses face during this process is how it will affect their search engine rankings. If not done correctly, migrating a website to a new domain can lead to a drop in rankings, resulting in reduced traffic and lower visibility.
In this post, we’ll walk you through essential steps to help protect your SEO when switching domains. But before we dive in, it’s important to note that even with the best practices, a temporary loss of rankings can and do happen. The key is to minimize it and ensure long-term recovery.
1) Why Changing Domains Affects SEO
Switching domains essentially changes your website’s address. Google and other search engines have already indexed and ranked your current domain based on its authority, content, backlinks, and user interactions. When you move to a new domain, search engines must reindex your website under the new URL, which can disrupt rankings—especially if not handled properly.
In short, the new domain is like starting fresh in the eyes of Google, so extra care must be taken to ensure that as much SEO value as possible is transferred.
2) Pre-Migration Planning
Before you make any changes, thorough planning is crucial. The better prepared you are, the smoother the migration will be. Here are the key steps to take before switching domains:
a) Perform an SEO Audit
Before switching domains, it’s essential to understand where your current domain stands in terms of SEO. Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to get a full picture of:
- Which pages are driving the most traffic
- Which keywords your site is ranking for
- What backlinks are pointing to your site
- Which pages have the most authority
By understanding this data, you’ll know exactly which elements you need to prioritize during the migration process.
b) Back Up Your Website
A website backup is an absolute must. This includes all website files, databases, content, and images. Having a complete backup ensures that if something goes wrong during the migration, you can restore your website without losing any crucial data.
c) Create a Detailed URL Mapping Plan
One of the most important elements of domain migration is to create a comprehensive URL mapping plan. Every old URL must have a corresponding new URL, and all of these URLs must redirect seamlessly. A mismatch in URL mapping can lead to broken links, a poor user experience, and ultimately a drop in rankings.
In this step, ensure that:
- You identify all current URLs.
- You map those URLs to new URLs on the new domain.
- You set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new ones.
3) The Migration Process: Step by Step
Once you’ve completed the pre-migration planning, it’s time to get into the actual migration process. Follow these steps carefully to protect your SEO.
a) Set Up the New Domain
Before migrating, ensure that your new domain is fully set up. It should be live, accessible, and hosted properly. Ensure that it is connected to Google Search Console and Google Analytics, so you can track its performance post-migration.
b) Implement 301 Redirects
The most critical step in maintaining your SEO during domain migration is to implement 301 redirects. A 301 redirect tells search engines that the content from the old domain has permanently moved to the new domain. This ensures that any SEO value, backlinks, and authority from the old domain are transferred to the new one.
Here’s how to handle 301 redirects:
- Redirect every old page to the corresponding new page (not just to the homepage).
- Set up the redirects at the server level for maximum efficiency. This can be done via your .htaccess file, or if you’re using WordPress, via plugins like Redirection.
Redirects should be in place for as long as possible, especially if you have built substantial SEO equity over the years.
c) Update Internal Links
Once your new domain is live, go through all internal links on your website and ensure they are pointing to the new URLs. This includes links in your navigation, content, footer, and even image links. A mismatch in internal linking could lead to crawl errors and frustrate users.
Using a tool like Screaming Frog can help automate the process of finding and updating internal links.
d) Submit a Change of Address to Google
Google Search Console allows you to notify Google of a domain change by submitting a “Change of Address.” This is a critical step that signals to Google that your website has moved permanently to a new domain.
Steps to follow:
- Sign in to your Google Search Console account.
- Add and verify your new domain.
- In the settings, select “Change of Address” for your old domain.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
By doing this, Google will prioritize crawling your new domain and reassign rankings from the old domain.
e) Update Backlinks
While a 301 redirect will help retain most of the SEO value from your old domain’s backlinks, it’s a good idea to reach out to any websites that link to your old domain and ask them to update their links to point to the new domain.
This is especially important for high-authority websites that pass significant link equity to your site. While it may not be possible to update every backlink, focusing on high-value links will help protect your SEO.
4) Post-Migration Monitoring
Once the migration is complete, your work is not done. Here are some crucial post-migration steps to ensure your rankings remain stable (or recover quickly, if there’s a temporary dip).
a) Monitor Google Search Console
After submitting the change of address in Google Search Console, monitor it closely for any errors or issues. Check the “Coverage” section for crawl errors and any indexation issues that could affect your rankings. Be particularly mindful of 404 errors, which could arise from broken links or incorrect redirects.
b) Track Rankings and Traffic
It’s normal to experience some fluctuations in search rankings after a domain migration. However, if you’ve followed the steps above, these should be temporary. Use tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to track keyword rankings and organic traffic post-migration.
Look for:
- Traffic dips that last more than a few weeks.
- Specific keywords that drop significantly in rankings.
- Pages that lose significant traffic compared to pre-migration.
If you notice ongoing issues, revisit your URL mapping, 301 redirects, and Google Search Console settings to ensure everything is set up correctly.
c) Update Your Social Media and Listings
Don’t forget to update your new domain on all external platforms. This includes:
- Social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Business listings (Google My Business, Yelp, local directories, etc.)
- Email signatures, business cards, and any marketing materials
While these don’t directly affect SEO, maintaining consistency across your online presence helps build trust with users and prevents confusion.
5) Caveat: Temporary Loss of Rankings Can Happen
Even when following the best practices for domain migration, a temporary loss in rankings can still occur. This is because search engines take time to fully index the new domain and reassign SEO value to it. It may take a few weeks or even months for rankings to stabilize.
The key is not to panic. Keep monitoring your rankings and traffic, continue optimizing your site, and in time, your new domain should regain its SEO strength.
6) Focus on Long-Term SEO Health
After your migration, don’t forget about ongoing SEO efforts. Here are some tips to help ensure your new domain continues to thrive in search engines:
- Regularly audit your website for SEO improvements.
- Continue to build high-quality backlinks to your new domain.
- Keep producing fresh, valuable content that resonates with your audience.
- Monitor your site’s technical health, including page speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability.
A Careful Migration Protects SEO
Switching domains can seem daunting, especially when it comes to protecting your hard-earned SEO. By following these steps—carefully planning, setting up 301 redirects, updating internal links, and monitoring post-migration performance—you can minimize the impact on your rankings.
However, remember that some loss of rankings is possible during the transition. The key is to stay vigilant, be patient, and keep optimizing your website to ensure long-term success.
With the right approach, your new domain will be as strong—or stronger—than your old one in no time.
