Migrating a website can be a complex and delicate process. Whether you're moving to a new domain, switching platforms, redesigning your site, or transitioning from HTTP to HTTPS, a well-thought-out site migration checklist is critical to ensuring a smooth and successful move. By following this checklist, you can minimize risks such as traffic loss, SEO ranking drops, and user experience issues.

This site migration checklist will walk you through the key steps to take before, during, and after the migration to ensure everything is in order.

Pre-Migration Phase: Planning and Preparation

1. Define Migration Goals

The first step is to clearly define the goals of your migration. Are you:

  • Changing your domain name?

  • Switching CMS platforms (e.g., WordPress to Shopify)?

  • Redesigning the structure of your site?

  • Moving from HTTP to HTTPS for better security?

Understanding your goals will guide the entire process and help you address the technical and SEO concerns associated with the migration.

2. Backup Everything

Before making any changes, back up your entire website, including:

  • Files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.)

  • Databases

  • Images and other media files

A backup ensures that you have a recovery plan if something goes wrong during the migration.

3. Audit Your Existing Site

Perform a full audit of your existing site. This should include:

  • All URLs on your site

  • Meta titles, descriptions, and header tags

  • Internal and external links

  • Images and alt text

  • Canonical tags

  • Any existing redirects (301, 302, etc.)

Tools like Screaming Frog or SEMrush can help with this audit. Documenting this data will help you set up the new site properly and ensure a smooth transition.

4. Create a 301 Redirect Map

If you’re changing URLs, setting up 301 redirects is essential to preserve SEO value. A 301 redirect map will help you maintain your search engine rankings and avoid losing traffic. Plan which old URLs will be redirected to new URLs to ensure that all pages are accounted for.

5. Set Up a Staging Environment

Before making changes to the live website, set up a staging environment. This allows you to test the migration on a copy of the website, ensuring that everything works properly before going live.

Migration Phase: Implementing Changes

6. Transfer Content and SEO Elements

Now that you’ve prepared, it’s time to transfer your website’s content to the new platform or domain. During this stage, be sure to move the following:

  • SEO elements (meta titles, descriptions, header tags, alt tags)

  • Internal linking structure

  • Content (text, images, etc.)

  • URLs (if the URL structure is changing, make sure you map them correctly)

  • Site templates or themes

If you’re changing CMS platforms, ensure that the new system supports all necessary elements and maintains the website’s functionality.

7. Implement 301 Redirects

After transferring the content, it’s time to implement the 301 redirects. Each old URL should point to the appropriate new URL to ensure that both search engines and visitors are redirected seamlessly. Test the redirects to ensure that they work correctly and avoid creating redirect chains, which can harm site speed and SEO.

8. Set Up Google Search Console and Analytics

If you’re changing domains or making major changes, update your Google Search Console and Google Analytics accounts:

  • Google Search Console: Submit your new XML sitemap and monitor for any crawl issues or indexing problems.

  • Google Analytics: Ensure that tracking codes are updated, and check for any discrepancies in the data.

Post-Migration Phase: Monitoring and Optimization

9. Monitor Google Search Console for Errors

After migration, check Google Search Console regularly for errors. Look out for:

  • Crawl errors (404s, server errors)

  • Mobile usability issues (important for Google rankings)

  • Indexing issues (pages that are not indexed correctly)

Fix these issues as soon as possible to avoid any negative impact on your site’s SEO.

10. Submit an Updated XML Sitemap

Once the migration is live, create and submit a new XML sitemap to Google and other search engines. This sitemap helps search engines understand the new URL structure and crawl your site more efficiently.

11. Track Rankings and Traffic

Track your keyword rankings and website traffic in Google Analytics and other SEO tools. It’s normal to see some fluctuation in rankings after a migration, but monitor closely for any significant drops. If traffic or rankings plummet, there may be issues with your redirects or content migration.

12. Check for Broken Links

After the migration, check your site for broken links. Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs can help you identify any broken internal or external links. Fix these issues to prevent both user frustration and SEO penalties.

13. Test Site Speed and Mobile Performance

Website performance is crucial for both user experience and SEO. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test your site speed. Ensure that your site loads quickly, especially on mobile devices, as this directly affects both user engagement and search rankings.

14. Monitor Backlinks

Check that your backlinks point to the correct new URLs. Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to analyze your backlinks. If some are pointing to old URLs, reach out to the webmasters and request that they update the links to your new site.

Final Steps: Wrap Up Your Site Migration

15. Test User Experience (UX)

The user experience should be a top priority. Ensure that the site is intuitive, easy to navigate, and free of technical issues:

  • Test all forms and CTAs (calls-to-action)

  • Check the navigation structure

  • Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly and responsive

A positive UX will not only keep visitors happy but also help with your SEO rankings.

16. Announce the Migration

Once everything is set up and running smoothly, announce the migration to your audience. If you’re changing domains, let your customers know about the change via email, social media, or blog posts. This helps reduce confusion and lets them know they can still access your content.

17. Review Post-Migration Performance

Once everything is in place, continue to monitor the site’s performance:

  • SEO rankings

  • Organic traffic

  • Conversion rates

  • User engagement

Use this data to ensure that the migration has not negatively affected any key performance indicators (KPIs).

Conclusion: Completing Your Site Migration Successfully

A site migration checklist is essential for a smooth transition and successful website move. By following each step in this checklist, from preparing your current site and performing backups to monitoring post-migration performance, you can ensure a seamless transition with minimal disruption to your traffic, SEO rankings, and user experience.

Remember that a site migration can take time to settle. Some ranking fluctuations are normal, but with careful planning and consistent monitoring, you can protect your SEO value and achieve a successful migration.