Transferring a website can impact SEO, so careful handling is essential. Follow these steps to move your site smoothly and maintain SEO performance.
Plan the Transfer Carefully
- Backup: Ensure you back up your website files and databases.
- Timing: Choose a low-traffic period for the transfer.
- Notify Your Team: Inform and coordinate with your team.
Choose a Reliable New Host
- High Uptime: Opt for a host with at least 99.9% uptime.
- Fast Load Times: Select a host known for quick load speeds.
- Excellent Support: Ensure good customer support, which is crucial during the migration process.
Copy Your Website Files and Databases
- File Transfer: Use FTP to upload files to the new host.
- Database Migration: Export from the old host and import to the new host, ensuring correct configurations.
Update DNS Settings
- Identify New DNS Settings: Get these from your new host.
- Update at Domain Registrar: Change your domain’s DNS settings.
- Propagation Time: Allow up to 48 hours for global propagation.
Test the New Setup
- Check for Errors: Ensure pages, forms, and links work correctly.
- Review Analytics: Compare data from old and new hosts.
- Test Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Monitor and Address SEO Issues
- Google Search Console: Check for crawl errors and indexing issues.
- Maintain URL Structure: Use 301 redirects if URLs change.
- Update Backlinks: Ensure backlinks function correctly.
Submit a Change of Address in Google Search Console
If changing domains, use the “Change of Address” tool to update Google’s index.
Continue Monitoring SEO Performance
Regularly check for broken links, crawl errors, and ranking changes.
Conclusion
By planning carefully, choosing a reliable host, and monitoring SEO, you can transfer your website with minimal impact on rankings. Be meticulous and proactive for a smooth website migration with minimal impact on rankings.