Site migration can temporarily affect your SEO rankings, regardless of the platform you choose. Here's how to minimize the impact and maintain your search visibility during a website move or redesign:

Before Migration:

• Create a complete spreadsheet of your current URL structure
• Document all existing redirects and internal links
• Catalog your most valuable backlinks and highest-performing pages

Essential Steps to Preserve SEO:

1. Maintain Your Domain Name

• Keep your existing domain if possible
• Transfer the domain or use domain mapping
• Ensure DNS settings are properly configured

2. Preserve URL Structure

• Match URL slugs with your old site when possible
• Maintain consistent URL patterns for posts and pages
• Update internal links to reflect new URL structure

3. Implement 301 Redirects

• Create redirects for all changed URLs
• Map old URLs to corresponding new pages
• Test redirects thoroughly before going live

4. Create Custom 404 Pages

• Design informative error pages
• Include navigation options
• Add search functionality to help users find content

5. Post-Migration Tasks

• Submit new sitemap to search engines
• Use Google Search Console to monitor indexing
• Check for and fix crawl errors
• Monitor search rankings and traffic patterns

6. Additional Optimization

• Verify all meta titles and descriptions
• Ensure proper heading hierarchy
• Check mobile responsiveness
• Test site loading speed

Remember to maintain regular backups throughout the migration process and conduct thorough testing before finalizing the switch. Monitor your analytics closely in the weeks following migration to quickly address any issues that arise.

For complex migrations, plan for a temporary dip in rankings and prepare a recovery strategy focused on improving your most valuable content first.

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