Guide · 11 min · Updated 20/05/2026
Site migration without losing SEO
Migrations kill ~30% of organic traffic on average. Here's how to be in the 70% that recover.
Redirect map is the only deliverable that matters
Every old URL maps to one new URL or one valid 410. Chains of more than 1 hop lose link equity. Test the map in staging before launch.
Verify in stages
Pre-launch: crawl staging. Day 1: crawl production, monitor GSC Coverage. Week 1: monitor rank tracker for sudden drops. Month 1: full re-audit.
Common questions
How long does recovery take?
Clean migrations: 4–8 weeks. Messy migrations: 3–6 months or never.