In today’s post, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about web migrations and how to perform them safely and effectively to improve the performance of your website. So get ready to learn how to carry out an SEO migration successfully.
What is SEO migration?
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An SEO migration is a process that is carried out when major changes are to be made to a website. such as architecture, domain or server.
The objective of an SEO migration is to ensure that the website does not lose positioning and organic traffic. If this is done correctly, not only will the positioning be maintained, but it will also improve, thus increasing visibility along with its appearance in the first search results.
We refer to this with the term SEO because, during the entire process, work is underway to transfer all authority and technical aspects to the new website without losing any organic positioning that may exist.
Types of SEO migrations
As we have discussed, an SEO migration takes place when significant changes are made within a website. But what are these changes?
Migration by domain change
One of the most common SEO migrations. It consists of moving the current website to a new domain. The company has changed its name or has purchased a domain name that will benefit the positioning and image of the brand.
When you perform this migration, the address of your website changes, so it will be necessary to move all the files and inform both users and Google and the other search engines about the change.
During the process, it is important to establish 301 redirects, update the internal and external links as well as the configuration and monitoring of the website performance. In this way, we prevent and anticipate the occurrence of any negative impacts.
Migration due to change in design and architecture
When making a change of design or a new web architecture is proposed in some cases, such as changing URLs, deleting pages or modifying content.
Each of these changes can have a negative impact on the visibility and traffic of the website. That is why in a migration due to a change of design or web architecture, it is essential to have a list of all URLsYou can make sure that each old address has its corresponding equivalent or redirection in the new structure.
Migration due to hosting change
This type of migration occurs when you decide to move your website from one hosting to another without changing the domain name. This process can affect SEO if not done properly, resulting in high website downtime, changes in URLs or technical errors such as robots.txt files or incorrect redirects.
It is important that you plan the migration in advance and make sure that the new server configuration meets the necessary technical requirements for the proper functioning of the website.
Migration due to CMS change
If you are going to change the content management system (CMS) you are using on your website, you must transfer all data, contents and functionalities of the current platform to the new one.
To do this, it is important to perform a planned migration and conduct thorough testing before and after to ensure that everything is working properly.
Phases of a website migration
It’s time to get down to work. Whatever the type of migration you are going to perform, there are some essential steps to take if you want to achieve a successful SEO migration:
Plan the migration:
It seems an obvious point, but before making any change you should consider the reasons, objectives and the impact that the migration will have.
Performs a previous positioning analysis:
Making an SEO audit prior to the migration is essential to know the status of the website. In the report, you will be able to get data such as domain visibility, keywords positioned, traffic and website conversions and use them as a guide throughout the process.
Create a backup copy:
First of all, we recommend you make a backup copy of the website in case the migration fails or any unforeseen event occurs.
Analyze URLs:
You will have to make a study of the pages that you are going to delete from the old website and those that you are going to create new ones. Use the sitemap and the robots.txt file to do this. Also, take into account the pages that you are going to keep, but that you are going to change their URL structure.
Performs the necessary redirections:
Once you have analyzed all the URLs, you will have to make the necessary redirections to avoid possible errors or failures in the new website, such as the famous 404 error.
Tests the web in a test environment:
Before publishing your website, we recommend that you test all the changes you have made. Here you can pay special attention to links, new URLs and usability aspects.
Launch your new website!:
The moment of truth arrives. Once you have reviewed all the changes and none of them give errors, it is time to launch the new website. When this happens, we recommend you make use of Search Console to be aware of any error warnings.
These are the 7 phases to carry out a successful SEO migration. Each migration has some specific needs and objectives Therefore, you will have to work on each of its phases independently to guarantee the best results.
Even knowing all the phases, there may be aspects that can escape you and harm the whole process. For this reason, we would like to tell you about some of the important factors to consider.
3 key points to take into account during a migration
Now that you know what the phases of a web migration are, here are 3 key points that you cannot miss during the process:
Choose well the day and time you are going to migrate
Choosing the right date and time for a web migration is an essential aspect that is often overlooked. It is critical to keep in mind that this choice can affect traffic and performance, so it is important to we recommend that you perform the migration at times when traffic is at its lowest.
When is it? On the vast majority of websites, the nights are the time with less traffic, since it is understood that users are sleeping, so it will be the ideal time to schedule your migration.
In addition, you must take into account any important event that may affect the website traffic. For example, if you plan a migration during a date when a large increase in traffic is expected, due to an advertising campaign or an important event, it would be better to postpone the migration until traffic returns to normal.
Take into account the seasonality of your website
This point may not be relevant for all websites, but there are many others that will need to take it into account if they want their SEO migration to be successful.
For example, e-commerce focuses on the sale of seasonal products Whether it’s swimwear in summer or coats in winter, it is essential to ensure that the SEO migration is done before the start of the relevant season to maximize traffic and sales.
Coordinate with your entire team
In addition to taking into account how many days and hours it will take to carry out a web migration, it is essential to coordinate the entire team, which will help ensure that the changes are implemented effectively, the negative impact is minimized and all important aspects of migration are addressed.
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