01
URLs change without a redirect plan
Existing authority and rankings can be lost when important URLs disappear or redirect poorly.
SEO MIGRATIONChange the website.
Change the website.
Protect the search value.
Plan redirects, URLs, internal links and launch checks before a redesign or platform move puts existing rankings at risk.
URL mapping before launch Existing SEO value protected first
WHERE MIGRATIONS GO WRONGA better website can still cause
A better website can still cause
a search visibility drop.
Most migration losses come from changing too much without first documenting what already works.
Plan my SEO migration02
High-value pages are removed
A redesign may simplify the site visually while accidentally deleting pages that bring organic traffic.
03
Navigation changes too aggressively
Important pages can become harder to reach, weakening internal links and crawl paths.
04
Metadata and canonicals are reset
Platform or template changes can silently alter titles, descriptions, canonicals and indexation settings.
05
Staging settings leak into launch
Noindex directives, blocked resources or temporary URLs can survive the migration if launch checks are weak.
06
Nobody checks after launch
A migration is not finished at go-live. Search Console and crawl data must be watched for unexpected changes.
WHAT WE PROTECTKnow what carries value.
Know what carries value.
Then move it deliberately.
We treat existing rankings, URLs, links and search demand as assets that need to be mapped before the new site replaces them.
Review my migration planSEO inventory
Identify the pages, queries, backlinks and sections that already carry search value.
URL mapping
Map every important old URL to the right destination before launch.
Redirect strategy
Use clean, direct redirects that preserve relevance and avoid chains or dead ends.
Structure & internal links
Protect crawl paths and page importance while improving the new architecture.
Launch controls
Validate canonicals, robots directives, sitemaps, metadata and indexability before switch-over.
Post-launch monitoring
Track indexation, rankings, crawl errors and organic landing-page performance after launch.
URL MAPPINGEvery important old URL
Every important old URL
needs a deliberate destination.
Redirects should preserve intent, not just avoid a 404. The best destination is the page that most closely replaces the value and purpose of the old URL.
WE CHECK
High-traffic landing pages
Pages with backlinks
Ranking URLs
Removed and consolidated pages
Redirect chains and loops
Final destination relevance
MIGRATION PROCESSBaseline first.
Baseline first.
Launch second.
The SEO work starts before the new website goes live and continues after search engines begin processing the change.
Baseline the old site
We capture rankings, traffic, indexed URLs, priority pages, backlinks and current technical signals.
Build the URL map
Every important URL is assigned a destination based on intent, content and business value.
Protect the new structure
Navigation, internal links, canonicals, metadata and templates are reviewed before launch.
Prepare redirects
Redirect rules are tested for accuracy, chains, loops and destination quality.
Launch & validate
We verify indexability, sitemaps, robots directives, canonicals, status codes and tracking immediately after launch.
Monitor recovery
Search Console, rankings and landing pages are checked so unexpected losses are caught early.
LAUNCH CHECKSGo live is the moment
Go live is the moment
SEO needs more attention.
We validate the signals that can change during deployment so the new site does not accidentally block, duplicate or disconnect important pages.
IndexabilityRobots directives, noindex tags and crawl access.
RedirectsStatus codes, destination quality and chain prevention.
Sitemaps & canonicalsNew URLs communicated consistently to search engines.
Internal linksNavigation and contextual links point to final URLs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSQuestions before
Questions before
the website moves?
The safest time to answer migration questions is before the old structure disappears.
An SEO migration is the process of changing a website while protecting as much existing organic search value as possible. This can include redesigns, platform moves, domain changes or URL restructuring.
YOUR NEXT STEPBefore the new site launches,
Before the new site launches,
protect what already works.
Bring the current site, planned new structure and target launch date. We’ll map the SEO risks before they become post-launch problems.
Existing value inventoried
URLs mapped before launch
Redirects tested
Recovery monitored
How WE-Optimizz approaches an SEO migration
We start with evidence from the existing website, not with the new design. Before a URL changes, we identify which pages already answer valuable searches, where they receive links and which conversion paths they support. We then compare each important old page with the planned new structure and make a deliberate keep, improve, merge, redirect or remove decision.
The work connects SEO diagnosis, technical checks and the broader website migration. We map old-to-new URLs, check crawl access and indexation signals, update internal links and review what happens after launch. When a candidate new URL does not match the old page's purpose, it should not receive an automatic permanent redirect simply to clear a missing-page warning.
What gets approved before launch?
| Decision | Minimum evidence |
|---|---|
| Keep the old URL | Content still serves a useful distinct purpose and can remain accessible. |
| Permanent redirect | Named replacement page, close intent match, approval owner and intended server-side status. |
| Merge several old pages | The destination genuinely covers the old topics and users are not losing essential answers. |
| Retire without replacement | A clear reason to return a proper missing-page status rather than misleading visitors. |
Approval is not the final check. After the move, the old URL's actual HTTP response, the final destination, canonical signals, internal links and sitemap should all agree. A browser moving via JavaScript is not automatically an HTTP 301. Google's redirect guidance explains why server-side permanent redirects are preferable for permanent moves.
Bring your current site URL, any planned new URLs, access to Search Console if available and a list of pages you cannot afford to lose. We can use that starting point to focus the migration review on risk and value rather than treating every crawl warning as equally urgent.
Frequently asked questions
How do you verify a permanent redirect after launch?
Inspect the old URL's HTTP response, check the 301 or 308 and Location header where a permanent server-side move was implemented, then verify the final URL, canonical, indexability and redirect-chain behaviour.
Which existing data is useful before an SEO migration?
Search Console landing-page and query data, known backlinks, current URL inventory, indexable pages, analytics conversions where available, and any planned new sitemap are useful inputs. Missing data should be labelled unavailable, not invented.
Is SEO migration different from a complete website migration?
SEO migration concentrates on protecting search visibility, URL intent, crawl/indexation signals and internal links. A complete website migration also covers platform functionality, content data, forms, CRM, payments and ownership.