Migrating Websites: Avoid Disaster with These 11 Pro Tips
Website migration can be an exciting opportunity for growth, but it requires careful planning to avoid potential pitfalls. Whether you’re changing platforms, rebranding, or simply upgrading, a smooth migration is essential to retaining SEO rankings, maintaining user experience, and protecting your data.
Below are eleven pro tips to ensure your migration is not a disaster.
1. Focus on SEO Essentials
A successful migration starts with maintaining SEO value. Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones to retain SEO authority and map each URL carefully to avoid errors. Keeping the same URL structure, where possible, helps search engines maintain rankings. Be sure to update internal links, and conduct a post-migration SEO audit using tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to catch broken links or 404 errors.
Once the migration is complete, submit a new XML sitemap to Google and other search engines to help them quickly index the new site structure. Monitoring your SEO performance and keyword rankings post-migration is crucial. If certain pages lose rankings, address any content or metadata gaps promptly.
Example: 301 Redirects Not Implemented after Migration
2. Retain Your Keyword Strategy
Preserving your keyword strategy ensures continuity in search engine relevance. Identify high-performing keywords and integrate them into your new content. Map keywords to important pages, and update metadata with core keywords to reinforce your relevance.
Migration offers a chance to refine on-page content. Make sure to include your primary and secondary keywords naturally. Track keyword performance closely post-migration to catch any ranking fluctuations early on, and add any emerging keywords to stay competitive.
Example: Successful Migration and New SEO Strategy
3. Communicate Brand or Domain Changes Effectively
If rebranding or changing your domain, inform your audience early. Use multiple channels emails, social media, and banners to ensure consistent communication about the transition. Once the change is live, continue reinforcing the new identity to build customer confidence.
4. Transfer Advertising Tags Correctly
Maintaining audience targeting and ad performance depends on transferring advertising tags accurately. Verify that Google Ads, Facebook pixels, and LinkedIn tags are configured correctly on the new site. Ensure that any tags or pixels from your old site are updated to avoid losing tracking data.
| Tags | What it does | How to Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads Remarketing | This tag helps you track visitors and create remarketing audiences, allowing you to target ads to users who have previously visited your site. | If using Google Tag Manager (GTM), check that your remarketing tags are set up in GTM rather than hard-coded on your old site. You can then easily update the settings to the new domain without reinstallation. If your tags are directly on the site, ensure the script is migrated to the new website header. |
| Google Analytics Tracking Code | Primarily used for tracking site analytics, this code is essential for tracking conversions from Google Ads and linking campaign performance data with site traffic. | Double-check the Google Analytics property setup, ensuring it’s linked to your new site. Consider migrating to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) if using Universal Analytics. If using GTM, verify all tracking triggers are assigned to the correct URLs. |
| Facebook Pixel | Tracks visitor behaviour and conversions, helping create custom audiences and retargeting lists. Essential for measuring Facebook and Instagram ad campaign effectiveness. | In Facebook Events Manager, generate a new pixel code if needed or update existing pixel domain settings. Verify that custom events (e.g., ‘Add to Cart’, ‘Purchase’) are correctly set up in GTM or in HTML on your site. |
| LinkedIn Insight Tag | Allows tracking of LinkedIn campaign conversions, website visits, and retargeting visitors on LinkedIn. | Verify the Insight Tag settings in LinkedIn Campaign Manager and ensure correct placement on the new site. Retargeting for LinkedIn campaigns will automatically update once the tag is properly configured. |
5. Prepare Your Content Management System (CMS)
Switching CMS platforms impacts user experience, content presentation, and team workflow. Choose a CMS that supports SEO and integrates with essential tools. Train your team early, and test CMS compatibility with existing systems, like CRMs, to prevent disruptions.
6. Preserve Blog Content Value
A website’s blog often holds valuable content that drives traffic and engagement. Retain the original URL structure for blog posts to maintain SEO authority. Use this transition to polish high-traffic posts with updated information and visuals.
Check meta titles and descriptions to ensure they’ve transferred correctly, and review internal links to ensure they’re accurate post-migration. Consider consolidating outdated or low-performing posts but redirect them to avoid broken links.
7. Conduct Thorough Testing
Testing is essential to a smooth migration. Use a staging environment that mirrors the live site to detect and resolve issues without affecting visitors. Check for broken links, verify that images and media load correctly, and test all forms and interactive elements.
Cross-browser and device testing is essential to ensure a seamless experience across different platforms. Review primary user journeys, like navigating to blog posts or completing purchases, to ensure a smooth flow. Address any issues with load speeds and page layout for a polished final result.
8. Set Up Analytics & Tracking
Accurate tracking is crucial post-migration. Ensure Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or other tracking tools are configured correctly. Monitor key performance metrics like bounce rates and conversion rates to identify any areas needing improvement. Compare pre- and post-migration data to assess the migration’s impact on performance.
9. Back Up Your Website
Creating a backup before migration is essential. This digital safety net enables you to revert to the original site if anything goes wrong during migration. Ensure your backup includes all files, databases, plugins, and themes, and store it securely on multiple platforms.
10. Optimise for Mobile
Mobile optimisation is critical, as a significant portion of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Implement a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and prioritises speed by optimising images and enabling lazy loading.
Make navigation touch-friendly by ensuring clickable elements are large enough to tap easily. Optimise content with legible fonts, clear headers, and minimal text blocks to enhance readability on smaller screens.
11. Final Testing and Launch
Before going live, conduct a final round of testing to ensure everything is functioning as expected. This includes verifying SEO elements, media loading, and user flows. A polished, thoroughly tested site ensures a successful launch that preserves SEO, user experience, and business continuity.
Conclusion
Before going live, conduct a final round of testing to ensure everything is functioning as expected. This includes verifying SEO elements, media loading, and user flows. A polished, thoroughly tested site ensures a successful launch that preserves SEO, user experience, and business continuity.
Website migration can be a valuable growth opportunity, but it requires meticulous planning and thorough testing to avoid pitfalls. By following these 11 pro tips, you can ensure a smooth migration that preserves SEO value, user engagement, and data integrity, setting the foundation for future success.
We’ve helped many businesses migrate their websites effectively. If you’d like some assistance with your migration, reach out, our team is here to support you every step of the way.