Redesigning your website in 2026? Follow this complete SEO migration checklist to avoid ranking drops, ensure smooth transitions, and protect your organic traffic.
SEO Migration Checklist for a Website Redesign in 2026
Redesigning a website in 2026 is more than just updating your visuals and UX. Without a strong SEO migration strategy, you risk losing years of organic performance. Whether you’re changing domain names, redesigning layouts, or restructuring URLs, following a detailed SEO migration checklist is essential.
This guide will walk you through the critical steps to maintain your rankings, protect your traffic, and optimise performance after launch.
Why an SEO Migration Checklist is Critical
Many businesses overlook SEO during a redesign—and they pay the price in lost rankings, traffic drops, and broken user experiences. A well-structured SEO migration checklist ensures:
- You preserve current keyword rankings
- Redirects are properly handled
- Technical SEO elements remain intact
- Google re-indexes the site correctly
- You prevent loss of organic visibility
Pre-Migration Phase (Before Launch)
1. Crawl and Benchmark Your Existing Site
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to:
- Export your current URL structure
- Save metadata (title, meta descriptions)
- Record page speed metrics
- Capture internal linking and crawl depth
2. Identify High-Performing Pages
Find pages with:
- Top traffic and conversions
- High backlinks (use Ahrefs, SEMrush)
- Featured snippets or SERP placements
Mark these pages for special attention during migration.
3. Back Up Everything
Back up your entire website, including:
- Content & media
- Databases
- CMS configurations
Migration Phase (During the Redesign)
4. Maintain URL Structure (if possible)
Changing URLs is risky. If you must:
- Create a 1:1 redirect map using 301 redirects
- Avoid redirect chains and loops
- Update internal links to point to the final destination
5. Implement Proper Redirects
Ensure:
- All legacy URLs are redirected
- Canonical tags are correctly set
- No orphan pages are left behind
6. Update Your Robots.txt and XML Sitemap
- Allow access to important sections
- Submit updated sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
Post-Migration Phase (After Launch)
7. Monitor Indexing and Crawl Errors
Use Google Search Console to:
- Monitor indexing
- Identify 404 errors
- Check crawl stats and submit new sitemaps
8. Compare Pre and Post-Migration Metrics
- Organic traffic
- Keyword rankings
- Bounce rate and conversions
- Page speed and Core Web Vitals
9. Keep Communicating with Google
Resubmit sitemaps, fix crawl errors quickly, and keep using tools like Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor your performance.
FAQ: SEO Migration Checklist 2026
Q1: What is the biggest SEO mistake during a website redesign?
A: The biggest mistake is not planning for SEO. Businesses often lose traffic by skipping redirects, changing URL structures without mapping, or forgetting technical SEO.
Q2: How long does SEO migration take?
A: Depending on the size of the site, the process can take from a few weeks to several months, including planning, implementation, and monitoring.
Q3: Do I need to resubmit my sitemap after migration?
A: Yes. Always submit a fresh XML sitemap to Google and Bing to help search engines discover new pages quickly.
