Site migration can significantly impact SEO if not planned carefully, as changes to URLs, structure, or platforms may lead to traffic and ranking losses. A well-executed migration with proper redirects, technical audits, and performance checks helps preserve search visibility and even improve long-term SEO outcomes.

Search Engine Land has published ‘Site migration SEO guide’.

Zoe Ashbridge says, “Here’s the thing: site migrations can be scary and risky for SEO. We can’t change that.

But you don’t need to fear them, you just need to know the correct steps to take and when.

We recommend starting by reading this guide thoroughly to understand the complete SEO site migration process and how pre-planning influences the site going live and beyond. Then, return to each section as you move through the process to fully utilize this ultimate SEO site migration checklist to successfully launch your new site.

Why SEO matters during a website migration

A website migration can significantly impact SEO because migrations commonly impact essential search engine optimization elements, such as:

  • URL structure
  • On-page content
  • Internal linking”.

Site migration SEO guide

Search Engine Land