A new website, a new domain name or a change to your page addresses can be a big step forward for a business. It can also wipe out years of search visibility if it is handled badly. Old links break, Google loses track of pages and enquiries drop. The good news is that Google publishes clear guidance on how to move a site properly.
This article sums up that guidance in plain terms. It covers planning, redirects, Search Console and what to expect after launch. It is written for business owners and marketers rather than developers. Your web developer will handle the technical side, but you should know what to ask for.
What counts as a site move
Google Search Central has a guide to moving a site with URL changes. It covers any move where page addresses change. Its examples include switching from HTTP to HTTPS, changing your domain name and changing URL paths. Moving to a new host without changing any addresses is a different kind of move with its own guide.
Many marketing plans include a website rebuild at some point. Whoever builds it, the move should be part of the brief from day one. Good web design covers what happens to the old pages as well as how the new ones look. Leaving it until launch week invites problems.
Map every old URL to a new one
Google says it is important to map your old site’s URLs to the URLs for the new site. This mapping is the backbone of the whole move. Google suggests building the list from sitemaps, server logs, analytics and your content management system. It also reminds you to include images, videos, JavaScript and CSS files.
Each old page should point to the closest matching new page. Google warns against sending many old URLs to one irrelevant page, such as the new home page. If you have merged several old pages into one, those old pages can redirect to the new combined page. Content you are not moving should return a proper 404 or 410 status.
This is a good time to look at which pages earn traffic now. Your analytics and SEO tools can show which pages bring in visitors and links. Those pages need the most care in the mapping. Losing one of them can hurt far more than losing a page nobody reads.
Use permanent redirects
Redirects send visitors and search engines from an old address to the new one. Google recommends server side permanent redirects, such as 301 or 308, where technically possible. Client side redirects should be a last resort. Your developer will know how to set these up on your server or platform.
Avoid redirect chains, where one redirect leads to another and then another. Google says to redirect straight to the final destination. Where that is not possible, it suggests keeping chains short, ideally no more than three steps. Check the redirects again after launch to catch any chains that slipped through.
Keep the redirects in place for a long time. Google’s site move guide says generally at least one year. From a user’s point of view, it suggests keeping them indefinitely. Old links in emails, directories and bookmarks can then keep working.
Prepare the new site before launch
Google suggests setting up the new site on a content management system, preferably the same one the old site used. Check that robots.txt files and noindex rules suit the move. Developers often block search engines on a staging site, and Google says to remove blocks that were only there for the migration. Forgetting this step can keep a new site out of search results.
Each new URL should have a self referencing canonical tag. After the redirects go live, check that canonical tags point to the new URLs rather than the old ones. Update internal links so they point straight to the new addresses. Strong SEO content only helps if search engines can find and index it.
Test the new site on desktop and mobile before it goes live. Check that forms, contact pages and buttons work as expected. It is worth comparing the build against the elements of modern business website design while changes are still easy. A short checklist signed off by you and your developer can save a lot of trouble.
Set up Search Console properly
Google Search Console is free and shows how Google sees your site. Google advises verifying both the old and new sites, including all variants. Once the new site is live, submit the new sitemap and then remove the old one. Google says submitting a sitemap can help make the discovery process quicker.
If you are changing domain names, Search Console has a Change of Address tool. The Change of Address tool help page says it helps migrate your Google Search results from your old site to your new site. You must own both properties in Search Console using the same Google account. Set up the 301 redirects first, then run the tool.
The tool is not for every move. Google says it does not apply to HTTP to HTTPS changes, moves within the same site or switching between www and non www versions. Its effects continue for 180 days after you start the migration. Google also says to keep redirects for at least 180 days, and longer if they still get search traffic.
What to expect after launch
Some movement in rankings is normal. Google says visibility may fluctuate temporarily during the move while it recrawls the site. For a medium sized site, it can take a few weeks or more for new URLs to appear. Larger sites can take longer, because Googlebot needs to visit every old and new URL at least once.
Keep an eye on the reports in Search Console. The old sitemap should shrink in the index as the new one grows. Google notes that redirect warnings on the old sitemap are normal and can be ignored. New URLs should start to earn impressions and clicks in your search performance data.
Outside Search Console, tell other sites about your new address. Google suggests contacting sites that link to you and updating profile links and ad campaigns. That includes social media profiles, business directories and email signatures. Any paid ads should point to the new pages from launch day.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my Google rankings if I move my website?
Some short term movement is common while Google recrawls the site. Google says visibility may fluctuate temporarily during a move. With a full URL map, permanent redirects and an updated sitemap, that movement should settle over time. Skipping those steps is what puts rankings at real risk.
How long should I keep redirects after a site move?
Google’s site move guide says generally at least one year. It also suggests keeping them indefinitely from a user’s point of view. The Change of Address help page says at least 180 days, and longer if they still get search traffic. Keeping them longer costs little.
Do I need the Change of Address tool when switching to HTTPS?
No. Google says the tool does not apply to HTTP to HTTPS changes, which it detects without the tool. You still need permanent redirects from the HTTP pages to the HTTPS pages. Update your sitemap and internal links to the HTTPS addresses as well.
How long does a site move take to settle?
Google says it can take a few weeks or more for new URLs to appear for a medium sized site. Larger sites usually take longer. Keep watching Search Console during that time. Fix any crawl errors as soon as you see them.