Website Migration: Protect URLs, Content and Search Signals
A website migration can affect URLs, content, rendering and analytics at the same time. Treat it as a controlled release with an inventory, test plan and accountable owner.
Inventory the current site
Export known URLs, status codes, canonical tags, titles, metadata, internal links and important performance or conversion data. Identify high-value pages before changing the structure.
Map old URLs to the closest equivalent
Use a one-to-one permanent redirect when a page moves to a relevant replacement. Do not redirect every retired page to the homepage; if there is no meaningful replacement, choose an appropriate response.
Prepare the new site for launch
Check robots rules, canonicals, internal links, hreflang, structured data, forms and analytics on staging. Ensure staging restrictions will not accidentally remain on production.
Test redirects and user journeys
Check redirect chains, loops, missing assets, mobile navigation, contact forms and key conversions. Compare the new site with the inventory and retain a rollback or recovery plan.
Monitor after release
Watch server errors, indexation, search performance, analytics, enquiries and user reports. Annotate the launch date and fix technical blockers promptly without making unrelated changes at the same time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a tactic before defining the audience's task.
- Relying on a surface score without checking the real experience.
- Making changes without testing the full user journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should a small team start?
Choose one important user journey, record the current experience and test a focused improvement before expanding the work.
How should progress be measured?
Set a baseline and choose a few metrics tied to the intended outcome. Combine performance data with user feedback and document limitations.
Should every website use the same approach?
No. Adapt the design and implementation to the audience, content, technology, resources and applicable requirements.