How Improper Migration Kills SEO Rankings and Site Tracking
Many things can go wrong during site migration. For example, if you’re switching your website hosting providers, your site will go dead if you don’t take all the right steps with both your old provider and your new one. Or for another example, let’s say you’ve decided to switch content management systems (like from WordPress to Duda). In that case, all the content on your site—text, images, links, etc.—needs to be backed up. Otherwise, an unforeseen migration error can cause the content to disappear and your site rankings to plummet. Yikes.
Keys to Successful Site Migration:
- Planning the Migration
Timing is critical for scheduling
Wait until after your busy season to initiate the move
Anticipate an initial dip in performance - Before Migration
Set backups and benchmarks
Crawl your old site
Set up your new site
Test-crawl your new site - After Migration
Update sitemap and links
Crawl your new site and monitor analytics
Test on search engines and look for issues - Going Forward
Develop a plan to roadmap your strategy
Stay consistent with content updates
Monitor analytics to identify search engine updates