Independent guide
SEO checks for a website migration plan
A migration plan connects each old public URL to an intentional new outcome and tests it after launch.
Updated 2026-09-10
Inventory the current site
Export indexable URLs, important landing pages, canonicals, sitemaps, links and performance baselines. Record which content is retained, combined or retired.
Build explicit mappings
Map old URLs to the closest useful new destination and avoid sending unrelated pages to the homepage. Review high-value and externally linked URLs manually.
Test and monitor
Crawl staging where safely accessible, then verify redirects, status codes, canonicals, robots and sitemaps after launch. Keep rollback criteria and monitor search data for unexpected losses.