In an age where we are constantly trying to make our lives easier, it is no surprise that we are always on the lookout for ways to do that with numerous aspects, and business is not an exception. As a brand owner, you want to make website changes with the least hassle, especially when your page is frequently visited. Whether you are changing your domain name, redesigning your web page, or simply moving to a new host, there are steps you can take to avoid harming your site’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some tips on migrating your web page safely.
Before you begin any migration, you must do an SEO audit of your current website.
Doing an audit will help you identify any potential SEO issues that could arise during the migration process. It will also show your website’s upsides and downsides, so you can highlight the former and fix the latter when working on the migration procedure.
Plus, it will ensure a successful web page migration by exposing any potential SEO risks that might occur during the process. We’ll touch on that in a broader scope later on, so keep reading the article.
Choose the right timing.
One of the most important aspects of a successful migration is choosing the right time to do it. You’ll need to avoid significant holidays or events that could negatively impact your traffic.
If it happens that you are all set and ready to start the process, but some major holiday is approaching, try to schedule your migration when traffic is typically lower. Not only will it keep the traffic high, but you can also profit from this opportunity to let more people know about your plans to improve the web page and deliver better customer service and experience. You can, for example, use this letterhead template to spark people’s attention and make an announcement.
Once you have a list of potential SEO risks, you can begin planning your migration.
Make sure to create a comprehensive plan that considers all your risks. It would be best to design a website migration plan to mitigate all potential risks to your SEO previously identified in your audit. This planning process should involve setting up 301 redirects for all of your old pages to your new pages. You should also ensure that search engines properly index your new site. Doing all that beforehand is crucial to let the entire undertaking be smooth-flowing and effective; you don’t want to start the migration process unprepared and overlook critical elements, do you?
Don’t restrict yourself to the time frame only; the platform is equally critical.
Another crucial element of a successful migration is choosing the right platform. If you’re moving from one CMS to another, ensure that both platforms are compatible. The compatibility will secure an uninterrupted and speedy migration session, synchronizing all the elements and allowing them to work efficiently once the migration is over.
Launch the process.
Once you’ve chosen the right time and platform, you can begin migrating your content. Make sure to do this slowly and carefully to avoid any service disruptions. If you have no such experience doing that, try asking your colleagues/employees to help you. You can also hire an expert, so they can pause the procedure and make adjustments if needed.
Keep redirects and tests in mind.
After you migrate the content, you’ll need to set up redirects for your old pages. It will ensure that any links pointing to your old site will still work after the migration.
Once your redirects are in place, you can begin testing your new site. It includes checking your links, pages, and forms to ensure they work properly. Testing is essential to any website migration; you mustn’t skip it. Otherwise, your visitors will do it, and believe it or not, they don’t want to be visitors-slash-testers (not unless you provide reimbursements for such an undertaking).
Roll out the page and keep a close eye on it.
After thoroughly testing your site, you can launch it to the public. Announce the launch date to let people know when the migration process is over. You can use your client email corpora to spread newsletters or make some phone calls to do that.
After your new site is live, you’ll need to monitor it closely for any issues. It includes checking your traffic and conversion rates to ensure no drop-off.
You'll need to take action quickly if you notice any drop-off in traffic or conversion rates. It may include reverting to your old site or making changes to your new one.
It’s far from over.
Once your migration is complete, you can start thinking about ways to improve your new site. It includes adding new content, optimizing your pages for SEO, and promoting your site through social media. You can find plenty of practical resources to help you create an effective marketing strategy on the web.
Migrating your website doesn’t have to be a headache. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be up and running in no time - with no damage to your SEO.