Migrating a website—whether you are redesigning, switching platforms, or moving to a new hosting server—is one of the riskiest tasks for a business online. Do it wrong and you can lose search rankings, traffic, and even business emails. The good news: most of these disasters are preventable with a clear plan and a few simple checks.
Why migrations happen
Common reasons for migrating a site:
- Full redesign or rebranding (changing look, structure, or domain name)
- Moving to a different platform (new CMS or ecommerce system)
- Changing hosting providers or servers
Top fatal mistakes and how to avoid them
1) SEO and traffic loss from changing URLs or domains
When URLs or the domain change, search engines treat those pages as new. That means you can lose all the historical ranking signals that brought you traffic.
Common symptoms:
- Sudden drop in organic traffic
- Pages that used to rank now return 404 errors
- New domain shows no search history or authority
How to prevent it:
- Create a redirect map (old URL → new URL) and implement server-side 301 redirects for every changed page.
- If a page is removed, redirect it to the most relevant replacement or to a category/home page—not to a blank page.
- Preserve page titles, headings, and meta descriptions where possible, or carefully transfer their SEO intent into the new design.
2) Broken pages: too many 404s
404 errors tell Google and visitors that content is missing. A large number of 404s is a negative signal and immediately frustrates users trying to reach your pages.
Fix it with 301 redirects and by auditing internal and external links before and after launch.
3) Server and DNS mistakes (and lost email)
DNS mistakes are easy to make and painful to fix. DNS controls where your domain points and includes records for email (MX), verification (TXT), and other critical services.
Frequent problems:
- Forgetting to copy MX records and losing business email
- Deleting important TXT records like SPF, DKIM, or verification tokens
- Incorrect A/AAAA or CNAME records causing downtime
Practical safeguard: take a photo or copy all DNS records before making any changes. That way you can restore missing records quickly if something is accidentally removed.
4) Design changes that destroy SEO
Designers often simplify markup for aesthetics: fewer headings, shorter pages, or merged sections. But SEO is built on structure—headings, keyword placement, and content organization.
If high-ranking pages get stripped of headings or reduced to plain text, rankings can fall. The solution is to keep the SEO structure while improving the look. If you must change headings or copy, monitor rankings closely and make iterative adjustments.
5) Accessibility to crawlers and AI
Search engines and AI services rely on being able to access your content. Blocking crawlers via robots.txt, accidentally setting noindex tags, or launching behind authentication prevents indexing and can remove content from search and from AI training datasets.
Make sure the live site is crawlable and that you haven’t left staging robots rules or noindex tags in place after launch.
Migration checklist: a practical, step-by-step plan
- Inventory current site: export a list of all URLs, titles, meta descriptions, and traffic data for your top pages.
- Create a redirect map: map every old URL to a new URL; prioritize pages that generate traffic or conversions.
- Backup everything: full site files, database, and DNS records (take screenshots or copy text of all DNS records).
- Test on staging: set up a staging environment that mimics production and test redirects, forms, and emails there.
- Preserve SEO elements: maintain headings, keyword intent, meta tags, and schema where possible.
- Check DNS and email: re-create MX, SPF, DKIM, and any other required records before switching nameservers.
- Implement redirects and SSL: push 301s and install a valid certificate on the new host.
- Update sitemap and robots.txt: submit the updated sitemap to Google Search Console and confirm robots.txt is not blocking crawlers.
- Use Google Search Console: add the new property, run inspection on important pages, and use the Change of Address tool if moving domains.
- Monitor closely for 30–90 days: track organic traffic, crawl errors, 404s, and rankings. Fix issues as they appear.
Quick tips to reduce risk
- Keep the old site live while testing redirects for a transition period.
- Set reasonable TTLs on DNS records before the switch so changes propagate predictably.
- Inform stakeholders about planned downtime or changes that might affect email or forms.
- Audit external links and ask important referrers to update links if the domain changed.
- Document everything—a clear log of what changed and when makes troubleshooting far faster.
Monitoring after launch
After the migration, the work isn’t over. Monitor these areas daily for the first two weeks, then weekly for the next two months:
- Search Console crawl errors and indexing status
- Organic traffic and top landing pages in Google Analytics
- 404 reports and redirect chains
- Email deliverability and inbox tests
- Server logs for unexpected errors
Final word
Migrations can be an opportunity to improve user experience and SEO—but only if they are handled carefully. Keep a clear redirect plan, protect DNS and email records, and preserve the SEO elements that made your site visible in the first place. With a little preparation and monitoring, you can redesign or move your website without losing the traffic and leads that keep your business growing.
