SEO migrations are the number one risk for search engine optimisation. The reason is because they’re not optional; any SEO migration is going to cause traffic drops that may take months to recover.
What counts as an SEO website migration? Any significant change to your site’s structure, or content hierarchy. A domain name change, a CMS transition, a redesign, URL restructuring, back-end system changes… all of them count. (And if you think you’ve done a migration that doesn’t seem like a major overhaul, you’re right — this sort of work often spans multiple different types of changes.)
A business should understand what traffic risk is realistic when planning a migration. What kind of traffic drop can we expect, and how long will it take to recover?
The short answer is 80% of all website migrations result in a drop in traffic. If you make a change to your site’s architecture, there’s a good chance the bots won’t find your pages. You’ll need to be careful with redirects so you don’t break things. And you might have a lot of technical issues to clean up after you’ve launched. It’s been said that the average recovery time for a migration that includes URL updates and on-page changes can range between two to eight months.
That’s why SEO migrations are often described as one of the biggest risks a business can face. A few small mistakes in the process can lead to lost rankings, stalled revenue, and more problems down the line.
An experienced team and thoughtful planning can go a long way toward protecting your rankings, mitigating those losses, and expediting the recovery. One of the best ways to do this is to involve an SEO specialist from the start. In fact, bringing SEO specialists into the process early isn’t optional — it’s structurally decisive.
When a company launches a new website, the SEO team should already be shaping the architecture, the URL structure, how link equity will flow, and whether or not everything is ready for launch. Once the migration begins, there are fewer opportunities to change these elements.
If you wait until the last minute to bring in an SEO expert, it means the key decisions about the site structure have already been locked in. This could mean an enterprise migration that otherwise wouldn’t fail just because of bad code or a missed redirect alone ends up failing anyway.
Governance has to start before any of the development takes place, too. There has to be a plan, and the people who make the important decisions must be aware of the consequences.
In many cases, an SEO migration specialist will attend the kick-off meeting that introduces the new project. As the website is developed, they’ll monitor the process closely and identify where the risks are likely to emerge. They’ll provide feedback throughout the process and ensure that the new site meets the needs of both the end users and the search engines.
Once the migration is complete, however, it’s time to focus on the other side of the problem. After launching a new website, teams need to know exactly what they’re measuring and what they’re doing about it. If something goes wrong, they need to fix it immediately. Otherwise, they risk compounding the problem and causing even bigger headaches later.
There are some standard performance metrics that a website team should track after launch:
Organic traffic volume
Crawl error rates
Redirect performance
Conversion tracking
There’s no doubt that the first metric, organic traffic volume, is the most important. But without accurate crawl error rates, the rest becomes meaningless. That’s why Google Search Console plays such an important role in the SEO process.
For businesses with a large number of URLs, there are a couple of techniques to identify which ones are high-priority. Redirects are another important factor — they allow for page redirections and help maintain user experience while maintaining SEO benefits.
All told, there are four basic steps involved in an SEO migration:
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Pre-launch: Technical SEO work forms the primary mechanism for protecting rankings before, during, and after launch.
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Post-launch: Teams must monitor KPIs and respond quickly.
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Ongoing maintenance: Ensuring the migration continues to succeed long-term requires ongoing efforts.
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Recovery: When problems arise, it’s important to fix them before they get worse.
In general, the migration process can be broken down into three stages. Each stage has its own goals, timelines, and tasks.
Stage One: Prepare for Migration
This stage focuses on identifying areas of opportunity for improvement and making preparations for the migration. Tasks include:
Performing a technical audit
Identifying the scope of the migration
Developing a strategy for the migration
Setting expectations with stakeholders
Creating a timeline for the migration
During this stage, the goal is to set the groundwork for the migration. The team will want to understand the existing state of the website and the goals for the migration. They will also want to create a plan that outlines the steps needed to complete the migration successfully.
This stage typically takes between two to four weeks. During this time, the team will want to perform a thorough technical audit of the website. This will include evaluating the current infrastructure, identifying any potential issues, and determining what improvements can be made.
The team will also want to identify the scope of the migration. This involves determining what parts of the website will be migrated and how much data will need to be transferred. They will also want to develop a strategy for the migration, including a timeline and budget.
Finally, the team will want to set expectations with stakeholders. This includes creating a communication plan and ensuring that all relevant parties understand the goals and objectives of the migration.
Stage Two: Execute the Migration
During this stage, the migration itself will be executed. Tasks include:
Preparing the migration environment
Migrating data
Testing the migrated website
Deploying the migrated website
During this stage, the team will want to prepare the migration environment. This includes setting up the new server, installing the necessary software, and configuring the migration settings. They will also want to migrate the data from the old website to the new website. This includes migrating the content, images, videos, and other assets.
Once the data has been migrated, the team will want to test the new website to ensure that everything is working properly. This includes testing the functionality of the website, checking for any errors, and verifying that all of the data has been migrated correctly.
Finally, the team will want to deploy the migrated website. This includes publishing the website to the internet and making sure that it is accessible to users. The team will also want to monitor the website to ensure that it is performing properly.
This stage typically takes between four to eight weeks. During this time, the team will want to focus on executing the migration and ensuring that everything goes smoothly.
Stage Three: Monitor the Migration
During this stage, the team will want to monitor the migration to ensure that everything is working properly. Tasks include:
Monitoring the performance of the website
Identifying and resolving any issues
Updating stakeholders on the progress of the migration
Analyzing the results of the migration
During this stage, the team will want to monitor the performance of the website to ensure that everything is functioning properly. They will also want to identify and resolve any issues that may arise. This includes troubleshooting any technical problems, addressing any user concerns, and making sure that the website is performing as expected.
The team will also want to update stakeholders on the progress of the migration. This includes communicating any changes or updates to the migration plan and ensuring that all relevant parties understand the status of the migration.
Finally, the team will want to analyze the results of the migration. This includes evaluating the success of the migration, identifying any areas that can be improved, and developing plans for future migrations.
This stage typically takes between eight to 12 weeks. During this time, the team will want to focus on monitoring the migration and ensuring that everything is functioning properly.