5 SEO Tips for Migrating Your Site to a New Domain
If you are planning to change the domain name for your website, you need a solution that can ensure that your SEO strategy will be migrated, as well. While changing domain names might seem less painless than redesigning your website or performing a CMS migration, there are many things that can go wrong.
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Here are 5 SEO tips that you should use when you migrate your site to a domain.
1. Reach Out to Your Hosting Provider First
Before you change domain names within your CPanel or hosting service configuration, make sure that you reach out to your hosting provider first. They may have specific instructions regarding the move that will make things less complicated for them. Make sure to let the hosting provider know that you want to switch domain names and any concerns that you have about your setup. A hosting tech support representative should also be able to guide you through the general steps of the process.
2. Verify All Versions of the URL
Making sure that all of the new versions of the domain have been verified in Google Search Console is an important step because you want to make sure that the domain is accessible via any version of the URL that users enter. Make sure to perform the verification process for the non-www, www, https, and http versions of the domain in Google Search Console.
3. WordPress Address Change
After you have updated the Google Search Console, if you are using WordPress you will need to change the WordPress address for your site. Make sure that you also change the addresses for each of the installs that power your website.
4. Update Your Redirects With Mod_rewrite or ISAPI_Rewrite
There were likely a number of redirects that applied to your old domain. If there are such redirects, then you have to make changes to your .htaccess file (if you are using mod_rewrite) or the http file (if your site uses an older version of ISAPI_Rewrite). The redirects should be changed so that they reflect your new domain.
5. Back Up Everything Before You Begin
If you don’t want to risk losing the improvements that you made, then your WordPress installation and database need to be backed up before you start making any changes. This will ensure that you can revert to working version of your site quickly if you make a mistake during the transfer of your site to the new domain. There are plugins available, such as UpdraftPlus, that are available to back up your site each day or at your preferred backup interval.
If your company name has changed, then it is in your best interest to start the migration of your website as soon as possible. This can prevent confusion from occurring as your customers get used to the new name of your company. In addition, it will also allow you to continue with the various SEO tasks that need to be performed in order to maintain your search rankings as soon as possible.
If you need help with migrating your website to a new domain, contact Infintech Designs today for further assistance. Our New Orleans digital marketing company can help you move to a new domain while also ensuring that your SEO strategy stays intact.
