Website migration SEO checklist
The steps that protect your rankings when you move to a new website platform.
Moving your site to a new platform is exciting, but it is also the moment many businesses lose traffic they spent years building. This website migration SEO checklist covers the steps that protect your rankings when you move from Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Shopify or any other platform.
1. Audit your current site
- Crawl the site and export every URL
- Export top pages from Google Analytics and Search Console
- List pages with backlinks using a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush
- Save titles, meta descriptions and headings
- Note forms, integrations and tracking codes
2. Plan your URL structure
Keep URLs the same where you can. When they must change, for example because a new platform adds a folder, map each old URL to the most relevant new one. Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage, as Google treats that like a missing page.
3. Build a redirect map
Create a spreadsheet with two columns: old URL and new URL. Include pages, blog posts, product and category pages, and important images or PDFs. This map is the core of any website migration SEO checklist, and it is worth taking time over. Google explains the approach in its guide to site moves with URL changes.
4. Move content carefully
- Move all content, not just the pages you like
- Keep headings and key text on pages that rank
- Carry over titles and meta descriptions
- Move image alt text
- Check internal links point to new URLs
5. Set up SEO on the new platform
- Install and configure your SEO plugin or settings
- Add schema for your business, products or articles
- Generate an XML sitemap
- Check robots.txt allows search engines
- Set canonical tags correctly
6. Test before launch
- Test every redirect in your map
- Crawl the staging site for broken links
- Check page speed on mobile
- Test all forms and checkout
- Make sure the new site is not blocked from search engines once live
7. Launch and monitor
- Switch DNS at a quiet time
- Submit the new sitemap in Search Console
- Use the Change of Address tool if your domain changes
- Watch for 404 errors daily for the first two weeks
- Compare rankings and traffic with your baseline
What to expect
Small ranking wobbles in the first few weeks are normal while Google processes the change. With good redirects, rankings usually settle or improve within a month or two. Big drops are almost always a sign of missing redirects or blocked pages, which is why monitoring matters.
Need a hand?
Platform specific tips
Wix to WordPress
Wix URLs often include folders like /post/ for blog articles. Map these carefully to your new WordPress structure and redirect each one.
Squarespace to WordPress
Export your content from Squarespace, but check images and formatting afterwards, as some layouts do not carry over cleanly.
WooCommerce to Shopify
Shopify uses fixed URL prefixes such as /products/ and /collections/. Every product and category URL will change, so a full redirect map is essential.
Keep a launch log
Write down the date and time of launch and every change you make afterwards. If traffic moves, the log makes it much easier to find the cause.
Warning signs after launch
- A sudden drop in indexed pages in Search Console
- A spike in 404 errors
- Key pages missing from Google a week after launch
- Traffic falling on pages whose URLs changed
If you see any of these, check your redirects and robots settings first. Most problems come from a missing redirect or a staging setting left switched on. Fixing them quickly usually brings traffic back within days or weeks.
Keep your old site's URL list and redirect map safe for at least a year. You will need them if any old links or bookmarks surface later.
Common migration paths and their traps
Every platform move has its own quirks. Knowing them in advance saves a lot of stress after launch.
- Wix to WordPress: Wix cannot export a working site, so pages are rebuilt and blog posts moved with care. Image file names and alt text often need fixing
- Squarespace to WordPress: the export covers blog posts and some pages, but layouts and product pages need rebuilding
- WordPress to Webflow: blog content can be imported through CSV into CMS collections, but custom fields and plugins need a plan
- WooCommerce to Shopify: products, customers and orders can move, but product URLs change structure and every one needs a redirect
If you are still deciding where to move, our comparisons of WordPress vs Webflow and Wix vs WordPress can help.
Keep tracking in place
Analytics, conversion tracking and Search Console need to work from the first minute after launch. Otherwise you cannot tell whether traffic or enquiries have changed. Before launch, list every tracking script and goal on the old site, set them up on the new one and test each form and button on the staging site. After launch, check real-time reports to confirm data is coming in.
Tell Google about the move
Submit the new XML sitemap in Google Search Console as soon as the site is live. If your domain is changing, use the Change of Address tool as well. Keep the old sitemap available for a few weeks too, because it helps Google find and follow your redirects faster. Google's own site move guide lists every step.
When to call in help
Small sites with a handful of pages can often be moved by the owner with care. Larger sites, online stores and sites that rely heavily on search traffic carry more risk, and mistakes can take months to recover from. Our website migration service covers the full process, from audit to redirects to monitoring, and our SEO services team checks rankings for weeks after launch. If you are moving a store, see our Shopify and WooCommerce pages for platform-specific details.
A quick pre-launch checklist
- Every old URL returns a 301 redirect to the right new page
- The new site is not blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags
- Titles, meta descriptions and headings are in place on key pages
- Analytics and conversion tracking are firing
- Forms send to the right inbox
- The XML sitemap lists only live, indexable pages
Tick every item before you switch over, and keep this list handy for the first week after launch.
Our website migration service handles every step of this website migration SEO checklist for you. Moving to WordPress? See our WordPress development page. Or start with a free website audit of your current site.
Platform-specific migration guides
Each platform has its own export limits and URL patterns. See our step-by-step guides for Squarespace to WordPress, Wix to WordPress and Webflow to WordPress, or let our website migration services handle it.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose traffic when I migrate?
Small wobbles are normal. With proper redirects, traffic usually recovers quickly.
How long should I keep redirects?
Keep them permanently if you can, and at least for a year.
Can I migrate without a developer?
Simple sites, yes. Stores and large sites are safer with professional help.
What is a 301 redirect?
It is a permanent redirect that sends visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new one and passes on most of the old page's ranking value.
Should I keep my URL structure the same?
Keep it the same wherever the new platform allows. Every change adds risk and needs a redirect.
What is a redirect map?
A spreadsheet that lists every old URL next to its new URL. It is the most important document in any migration.
How do I tell Google my site has moved?
Submit the new sitemap in Search Console, and if your domain changes, use the Change of Address tool.
Can I migrate an online store without losing orders?
Yes, with planning. Products, customers and order history can usually be moved, and the store can switch over with little or no downtime.
When is the best time to migrate?
Choose a quiet period for your business, avoid peak seasons and allow time for fixes in the weeks after launch.
Why did my traffic drop after a migration?
Missing redirects, blocked pages, lost content or changed titles are the usual causes. Check Search Console for errors first.
Key takeaways
The businesses that do well here are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. They are the ones that get the basics right, measure what changes and keep going month after month. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your own site, get a free website audit or talk to us.
