A redesign doesn't just erase the old design. It can change URLs that Google, your customers, and other sites already use. This SEO migration checklist helps you prepare for matches and checks before launch. It is aimed at a small structure that wants to keep control of its pages, even if a service provider carries out the technique.
Step 1: save what exists
Export the public sitemap, CMS page list and most viewed URLs to Search Console or your measurement tool. Add pages that receive requests, useful articles, PDFs and important products. Keep a copy of content, images and titles. Note the date of the export. An inventory made after going online risks missing pages that have become impossible to find.
Create a table with four columns: old URL, page role, new URL, decision. The decision can be “keep”, “merge” or “remove without equivalent”. An old service page deserves a destination that still talks about that service; hospitality is not a universal destination. The official Google site move guide specifically recommends this match.
Step 2: test the new site before publication
Open important pages on mobile: is the offer visible, the text still complete, the direct links correct? Try the form or shopping cart in a controlled manner. Check the page titles and descriptions, as well as the images used to explain the product or service. A new site can keep all the URLs and still lose requests if its path becomes confusing.
On the test version, document access protections and guidelines that prevent its indexing. At launch, it will be necessary to check that the public pages do not keep a pre-production `noindex`. Record this check in a recipe list signed by the responsible person, rather than relying on the developer's memory.
Step 3: Prepare redirects
For changed URLs, request permanent redirects to the new equivalent pages. Test pages that receive external links and contacts, then a sample of each page type. Check the final destination and the absence of a loop. A chain of old URLs redirected multiple times lengthens the journey and complicates diagnosis.
If you also change domains, check that the old one remains under your control and that emails continue to work. Administrative transfer, DNS and page migration are three separate tasks. Keep someone responsible for each. Don't let the old domain expire the day after the switch.
Step 4: Update the sitemap and internal links
The new sitemap must contain public and canonical URLs. Do not copy the old file only changing the domain name if some pages have been merged or deleted. Google explains that the sitemap helps discover URLs but does not guarantee their indexing. Check the public file and its status in Search Console.
Also correct your own links: menu, footer, articles, automatic emails and business profile. Redirects serve as a net for old links; your new content should point directly to the right pages. To construct the correspondence table, use the method detailed in our guide to redirects.
Step 5: monitor the first thirty days
On launch day, test old and new priority URLs, forms, and mobile. The following week, look for 404s, broken links and blocked pages. Then, compare the impressions, clicks and requests of the main pages with a relevant time period. Note campaigns or price changes that influence results; a traffic variation does not always have a single cause.
Keep a fix log: problem, URL, responsible, date and retest result. A migrated site is not complete when the home page opens; it is when the important routes work and the old useful addresses still lead somewhere. The guide “Audit and correct your site” delves deeper into these controls and their prioritization.
Frequently asked questions
When to prepare redirects?
Before going live, as soon as the list of new URLs is sufficiently stable. You can then test the important cases before the cutover.
Should we redirect all pages to the home page?
No. A redirection must lead to equivalent or truly useful content for the same intention. A generic destination can disappoint the visitor.
Is a sitemap enough to maintain SEO?
No. Redirects, content, links, canonicals and actual paths also count. The sitemap helps in the discovery of canonical URLs.
