Address map
Old page → intended destination.
Design and build
Move the website.
Keep a clear route.
Plan the content, page addresses and measurement before the move begins.
Every important page.
A known destination.
Build the old-to-new address map before launch. Include important files and images as well as pages.
Illustrative mapping. Keep an address when it still fits; redirect moved pages to a relevant replacement.
Prepare.
Test. Move. Watch.
A move is a sequence, with a recoverable record at every step.
01
Prepare
Back up the current site and save its page and traffic records.
02
Test
Check the new pages, redirects, links and contact routes.
03
Move
Release the agreed changes and verify the public site.
04
Watch
Review old and new addresses, indexing and traffic.
The launch record stays with you.
Know what changed and where to look if a problem appears.
Launch checks
Redirects, indexing settings, links and measurement.
Follow-up record
Observed changes and any further work.
Before we start.
It can. Google needs to process the changed pages. There is no fixed recovery date or promise of unchanged rankings.
Google recommends keeping redirects as long as possible, generally at least a year. Useful old links may remain in use much longer.
Google recommends changing one thing at a time where possible. Separate changes are also easier to investigate.
Bring the old and new domains, any saved page lists and Search Console access. We can investigate missing pages and incorrect routes.
Grounded in the platform guidance.
The migration plan follows the site’s actual circumstances.
Read Google’s site-move guidanceThe migration plan follows the site’s actual circumstances.
Discuss the project
Plan the move before the switch.
The current website, your brief and the client’s priorities.