SEO migration: launch your new website without losing traffic
A redesign, rebrand or platform change is the fastest way to lose rankings you've spent years earning. I plan and run SEO migrations so every valuable page, link and ranking signal makes the move with you, and the new site launches stronger than the old one.
Why migrations go wrong
A new website is a new set of signals for Google. If the old ones aren't carried over, it starts from scratch.
Your current website has built up equity: pages Google has indexed and trusts, links from other sites pointing to specific URLs, and content that matches what people search. A migration changes some or all of that at once. When it's handled without an SEO plan, businesses commonly lose a large share of their organic traffic, and in the worst cases most of it, in the weeks after launch.
The causes are almost always the same:
- Missing or wrong redirects. Old URLs return 404 errors, so the links and rankings attached to them disappear.
- Lost on-page elements. Title tags, headings, body copy and schema get simplified in the redesign, and pages stop matching the searches they used to win.
- Blocked crawling. The staging site's "noindex" tag or robots.txt block goes live by mistake.
- Changed internal links. Navigation changes demote important pages, so Google sees them as less important.
- Slower templates. A heavier design tanks Core Web Vitals on mobile. A technical SEO audit of the staging site catches this before launch.
Every one of these is preventable with planning. Done properly, a migration is a chance to fix old problems, and many sites come out the other side ranking higher.
Who needs an SEO migration
If your site ranks and brings in enquiries, and any of these are on the roadmap, plan the SEO before the design is signed off.
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Rebrands and domain changes
A new domain means every old URL must point to its new equivalent, or the trust tied to the old domain is lost.
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CMS and platform moves
Each platform handles URLs, metadata and schema differently. I make sure nothing important is dropped in the move.
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Redesigns and restructures
Even a cosmetic redesign can change headings, copy and internal links that your rankings depend on.
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Merging sites
Combining brands or moving a subdomain into the main site needs careful mapping to avoid duplicate content and lost pages.
My SEO migration process
Six stages, none skipped, from the first crawl to the post-launch report.
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Pre-migration audit and benchmarks
I crawl the current site and record every indexed URL, top-performing page, backlink target and ranking, so we have a precise baseline to protect.
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Redirect mapping
A one-to-one 301 redirect map sends every old URL to its closest new equivalent, passing link equity and avoiding 404s and redirect chains.
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On-page preservation
Titles, meta descriptions, headings, copy, schema, images and alt text are carried over, and improved where the old site was weak.
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Staging QA
I test the new site before launch: redirects, canonicals, internal links, page speed, mobile rendering and tracking.
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Launch day
I work alongside your developers to deploy redirects, remove staging blocks, submit sitemaps and verify crawling in real time.
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Monitoring and report
Rankings, traffic, crawl errors and indexing are checked twice daily in the first week, then weekly, ending with a full post-migration report.
Migrations I've managed
From small business WordPress rebuilds to international groups moving platforms across several countries.
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CPL Group
International SEO migration
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Smart Express
SEO migration
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AATROX Communications
International SEO migration
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Hushtec Solutions
International SEO migration
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Your website
Already launched and lost traffic?
It's often recoverable, especially if you act within the first few months.
If your organic traffic dropped after a new website went live, the old site's signals are usually still recoverable. I start with a comparison: the URLs that used to bring traffic (from Search Console and archived crawls) against what they return now. From there the fix is usually a mix of:
- Adding or correcting 301 redirects for high-value old URLs
- Restoring content, headings and title tags that were stripped in the redesign
- Removing leftover noindex tags, robots.txt blocks or wrong canonicals
- Rebuilding internal links to your most important pages
The longer old URLs stay broken, the more of their value fades, so it's worth getting a diagnosis quickly.
SEO migration questions
How do you make sure our rankings stay stable after the migration?
By planning before launch rather than reacting after it. I benchmark the current site, map every URL to its new home with 301 redirects, carry over or improve all on-page SEO, test the staging site, and monitor closely after go-live so any dip is caught and fixed within hours, not weeks.
Will we lose our backlinks if we change domains or platforms?
Not if redirects are done properly. A 301 redirect from each old URL to its equivalent new URL passes the value of the links pointing at it. For your most valuable links, I can also contact the linking sites and ask them to update to the new URL.
How long does an SEO migration take?
A small WordPress site with up to about 50 pages can be planned and migrated within a few days. A site with 200 to 300 pages or more typically takes one to two weeks of planning plus launch support. Large ecommerce and international sites take longer. Google usually re-crawls and settles a well-migrated site within a few weeks.
How much does an SEO migration cost?
Migrations are quoted as fixed projects based on the number of URLs, the type of change (a platform move is simpler than a domain change plus restructure), and how much post-launch support you need. See SEO pricing for how projects are structured.
Do you work with our web developer or agency?
Yes, that's the normal setup. I provide the redirect map, on-page requirements and QA checklist, review the staging site, and work with your developer on launch day. I'm happy to brief them directly.
Can you handle international or multilingual migrations?
Yes. International migrations add hreflang, regional URL structures and multiple Search Console properties to the plan. I've run international SEO migrations for groups including CPL Group, AATROX Communications and Hushtec Solutions.
Do you provide support after launch?
Always. Post-launch monitoring is part of every migration: rankings, traffic, crawl errors and indexing, with quick fixes to redirects or on-page elements if anything dips. You get a written post-migration report at the end.
Planning a migration? Talk to me before launch
The earlier I'm involved, the cheaper it is to get right. Send your current site, the new platform or domain, and your launch date, and I'll come back with a scope and fixed quote.
- Phone: 027 227 7221
- Email: spiro@seoconsultant.co.nz
- Prefer a call? Book a 30-minute strategy call