Numerous our readers are frightened that transferring a WordPress web site or switching to some other SEO plugin will have an effect on their web site search scores.

Search is the main guests provide for lots of web websites, so you wish to have to be extremely wary when migrating.

In this educational, we will share the ultimate WordPress SEO migration checklist. It’s going to ensure that all your SEO settings are preserved all over the place the migration without hurting any of your search scores.

Right here’s a document of topics we will cover in this knowledge:

What Is SEO Migration?

SEO migration is a set of best possible practices for maintaining search scores and SEO settings while transferring or making number one changes to a web site.

Search is the #1 provide of tourists for lots of web websites. It may well be bad to lose some or all of that guests all over the place a migration.

Listed here are some no longer strange situations while you’ll need SEO migration:

• Shifting a WordPress web site to a brand spanking new house identify
• Shifting your web site to a brand spanking new WordPress web hosting provider
• Switching to a better WordPress SEO plugin

You need to just remember to’re taking proper precautions to care for all your web site wisdom and SEO.

Following this step-by-step checklist will help you do proper WordPress SEO migration without losing scores and guests.

Getting in a position Your Website online for Migration

First, you need to organize your WordPress web site for migration. You’re going to do that by way of putting in place proper SEO tracking and making a complete web site backup.

Step 1: Observe Your SEO Potency

First, you wish to have to just remember to can as it should be understand how your web site is doing in search quicker than you get started the migration.

This may most probably permit you to read about your search potency after the migration and make a decision if the migration had any damaging or positive affect in your guests.

You’ll need two apparatus to track this knowledge.

1. Set Up Google Analytics

The easiest way to track and observe your web site guests is by way of using MonsterInsights. It’s serving to you merely arrange Google Analytics in your web site, which displays your web site guests and shows you where your consumers are coming from.

For additonal details, see our tutorial on find out how to set up Google Analytics in WordPress.

Phrase: If you haven’t used Google Analytics quicker than, then it’ll take some time quicker than it starts showing any wisdom.

Upon getting prepare MonsterInsights, it’s conceivable so that you can to appear your web site guests potency by way of visiting the Insights » Tales internet web page.

For additonal details, see our knowledge on find out how to monitor site guests in WordPress.

2. Set Up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a unfastened software this is serving to web site householders observe their potency in Google search results.

First, it is important to sign up for and upload your site to Google Seek Console.

After that, you’ll be asked to verify ownership of your web site. You’ll be capable of do that by way of together with a code snippet on your internet web page’s header.

We advise using All in One search engine marketing for WordPress to verify your internet web page’s ownership. It makes it easy so that you could upload a Google Search Console verification code.

Further importantly, All in One SEO has one of the tough XML sitemaps, which you’ll then add on your Google Search Console account to toughen how Google crawls your web site.

Once your web site is verified, it’s conceivable so that you can to get admission to a treasure trove of information. You’ll be capable of see it in your Google Search Console dashboard underneath the Potency tab.

It’s going to show you the best way frequently your internet web page turns out in search results, what selection of clicks you get, which keywords you may well be rating for, and search rating positions.

For additonal details, see our tutorial on learn the way to upload your WordPress site to Google Seek Console.

3. Download XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap lists all your web site content material subject material in XML construction so engines like google like google and yahoo like Google can merely discover and index it.

WordPress generates a basic XML sitemap by way of default. Alternatively, this sitemap is moderately basic and no longer customizable.

For upper XML sitemaps, we suggest using All in One search engine marketing For WordPress. It generates entire sitemaps that you simply’ll customize manually.

For details, see our tutorial on growing an XML sitemap in WordPress.

Upon getting created XML sitemaps, you need to acquire them on your laptop.

Simply open an XML sitemap and select ‘Save as’ from the right-click menu.

Repeat the option to download all sitemap XML files.

3. Download URLs The use of Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Paid)

Screaming Frog search engine marketing Spider is an app for SEO pros. It lets you transfer slowly any web site, like engines like google like google and yahoo, and acquire very important wisdom for SEO.

It crawls all your web site URLs, external links, image URLs, JavaScript and CSS files, and additional.

Open the app in your laptop, go to Report » Settings, and change the ‘Storage Mode’ to ‘Database Storage’.

After that, you need to enter your web site URL inside of the most productive bar and click on on on the ‘Get began’ button.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider gets began crawling your web site. Look forward to it to finish the transfer slowly, which may take some time, depending in your web site’s measurement.

Once finished, your transfer slowly wisdom will probably be stored inside the app’s database.

After the migration, you’ll transfer slowly your web site yet again and then read about the information to hunt out missing URLs, broken links, images, and other files.

Phrase: A unfastened fashion of Screaming Frog device is available for download. Alternatively, it’s limited to 500 URLs, and most other choices are locked. You’re going to wish the paid fashion to perform an entire transfer slowly and unencumber all choices.

4. Assessment with Semrush Internet web site Audit (Paid)

Semrush is among the best possible SEO platforms used by marketers and SEO pros.

You’ll be capable of perform a complete internet web page audit quicker than and after the migration, which is able to highlight the changes in your SEO potency.

Semrush can even imply you’ll catch missing files, broken links, URLs that don’t appear to be indexable, 404 errors, and other SEO warnings.

Phrase: Semrush has a unfastened fashion, on the other hand it’s limited. For a whole SEO internet web page audit, you’ll want a paid plan.

Step 2: Once more Up Your Website online

A backup is among the most very important apparatus in your arsenal for securing all your wisdom.

Normally, you’ll have to prepare computerized backups in your web site so that a complete, contemporary copy of your internet web page is always safely stored. This is at hand if something bad happens on your web site and you need to restore it quickly.

You must moreover create a complete WordPress backup quicker than starting number one internet web page changes, comparable to a migration.

There are a selection of WordPress backup plugins that you simply’ll use.

We advise using Duplicator on account of this can be a complete backup and migration plugin for WordPress.

Making a backup using Duplicator is super easy.

First, you need to place in and switch at the Duplicator plugin. For additonal details, see our tutorial on find out how to set up a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to the Duplicator » Techniques internet web page and click on at the ‘Create New’ button.

Duplicator gets began the new bundle deal wizard. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to create the bundle deal.

Upon getting created a bundle deal, you’ll download it on your laptop.

Should you’re migrating your WordPress web site to a brand spanking new server or house identify, then you definitely’ll moreover download the bundle deal and installer files on your laptop.

Step 3: Migrating Your WordPress Website online (No longer mandatory)

If you don’t appear to be migrating your WordPress web site to a brand spanking new host or to a brand spanking new house identify, then you definitely’ll skip this step.

Now that you simply’ve downloaded Duplicator packages on your laptop, you’ll migrate your WordPress web site.

Migrating WordPress to a New Host

If you haven’t already accomplished so, you first need to sign up for a brand spanking new host.

We advise using Bluehost. They’re probably the most largest internet webhosting companies on the planet and an officially actually helpful WordPress internet webhosting provider.

They supply WPBeginner consumers a generous discount on internet webhosting and a unfastened house identify. You’ll be capable of get started for $1.99 per 30 days.

You’re in a position to migrate your web site after you have prepare your new internet webhosting account.

Observe the instructions in our step-by-step educational on find out how to transfer WordPress to a brand new host.

Migrating WordPress to a New House

This phase is for patrons migrating WordPress to a brand spanking new house identify.

Please keep the following problems in ideas quicker than migrating a web site to a brand spanking new house identify.

• Switching to a brand spanking new house may in brief affect your search scores as Google and other engines like google like google and yahoo alter to the changes.
• Switching to a brand spanking new house might also in brief cut back your search guests. This is same old when switching domain names.

Alternatively, you’ll cut back the affect and quickly get better by way of as it should be switching the realm identify and following this SEO migration knowledge.

Continue with our step-by-step educational on shifting WordPress to a brand new area title.

Once you may well be accomplished, return to this knowledge and follow the remaining steps.

Publish Migration SEO Checklist

After transferring your WordPress web site (each to a brand spanking new host or a brand spanking new house), it’s time to hold out the post-migration SEO checks.

The ones steps will prevent any damaging SEO affect of the migration and connect conceivable issues quicker than they change into a topic.

Step 4. Atmosphere Up Redirects

When you’ve got migrated your WordPress internet web page to a brand spanking new house identify, you must redirect consumers from the former house identify to the new one.

This step is an important for a a success SEO migration.

The ones redirects as it should be send consumers from your earlier house to the new one, and they moreover let engines like google like google and yahoo know that your web site has moved to this new location.

There are two easy techniques to check out this in WordPress. We’ll show you every.

Method 1. Set Up Whole Internet web site Redirect The use of All in One SEO for WordPress

For the program, you’ll need the All in One search engine marketing for WordPress. It’s the perfect WordPress search engine marketing plugin to be had in the marketplace and allows you to optimize your WordPress web site for SEO.

First, you need to place in and switch at the All in One search engine marketing for WordPress plugin in your earlier house. For additonal details, see our step-by-step knowledge on find out how to set up a WordPress plugin.

Phrase: You’ll need a minimum of the Skilled fashion of the plugin to get admission to the redirect manager addon.

Upon activation in your earlier house, you need to consult with the All in One SEO » Redirects internet web page and click on on on the ‘Activate Redirects’ button.

Next, you need to modify to the ‘Whole Internet web site Redirect’ tab and turn on the ‘Relocate Internet web site’ toggle.

After that, you need to enter your new house identify next to the ‘Relocate to house’ selection.

Don’t forget to click on at the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Method 2. Organize Redirects The use of Redirection

You’ll be capable of use the program if you don’t appear to be using All in One SEO for WordPress.

First, arrange and switch at the Redirection plugin in your earlier house identify. For additonal details, see our tutorial on find out how to set up a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to the Equipment » Redirection internet web page and switch to the Internet web site tab.

Underneath the Relocate Internet web site phase, add your new house identify and click on at the Substitute button to save some your settings.

The Redirection plugin will now redirect consumers and engines like google like google and yahoo on your house identify.

Step 5. Assessment URLS

Next, you need to perform an entire web site transfer slowly to test all URLs on the new web site with the former wisdom.

That’s the wisdom you collected in the first step to benchmark your SEO potency quicker than the migration.

1. Assessment URLs The use of XML Sitemaps

Organize XML sitemaps in your new web site using All in One search engine marketing. After that, download the XML Sitemaps on your laptop.

Simply read about the new sitemap URLs with the former sitemaps you downloaded earlier.

2. Assessment URLs The use of Screaming Frog SEO Spider

When you’ve got a paid subscription to Screaming Frog SEO Spider, then you definitely’ll read about the two crawls.

Open the App and perform an entire transfer slowly of your new web site. After that, switch to the Mode » Assessment tab and select the prevailing and previous transfer slowly.

You’ll be capable of moreover perform further entire analyses by way of examining every crawls in a large number of Modes, comparable to Report and Spider mode.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider web site has an intensive educational on evaluating crawls.

3. Assessment URLs The use of Semrush

Every other easy technique to read about URLs is with Semrush using the Internet web site Audit software.

When you’ve got prepare Semrush quicker than migration using a paid subscription plan, then you definitely’ll read about it with the new craw post-migration.

Semrush will robotically document any issues it unearths underneath the Issues tab.

You’ll be capable of moreover read about quicker than and after crawls robotically.

All you will have to do is switch to the ‘Assessment Crawls’ tab to test a prior transfer slowly with the newest transfer slowly.

Step 6. Fixing Transfer slowly Issues and URLs

When comparing URLs, likelihood is that you’ll come right through some issues. The most common problems are:

• Missing URLs – A submit or internet web page in your earlier internet web page is unavailable in your new internet web page. To fix this, likelihood is that you’ll want to create a brand spanking new submit or internet web page or create a redirect (see Step 4 for redirect apparatus).
• Missing Media – An image, audio, or video file didn’t import. To fix this, try to manually import the missing media file or prepare a redirect.

Go through any issues you in finding and connect them manually if sought after.

Step 7. Migrating WordPress SEO Wisdom

WordPress SEO plugins save very important SEO wisdom in your WordPress database. This incorporates plugin settings, SEO metadata, redirects, focus keyphrases, and additional.

Alternatively, since you sponsored up all of your WordPress web site all over the place the migration, your SEO plugin and all its SEO wisdom should get began working out of the sector.

This step is for patrons who want to switch their WordPress SEO plugin and want to migrate SEO wisdom from one plugin to some other.

As an example, a while previously, we switched from Yoast to All in One search engine marketing, and keeping up all our SEO wisdom was once an important all over the place the switch.

Thankfully, all superb WordPress SEO plugins come with built-in SEO wisdom importers.

For example, All in One SEO will robotically come throughout other WordPress SEO plugins and provides you with an option to import SEO all over the place the setup wizard.

You’ll be capable of moreover manually import SEO wisdom inside the plugin settings.

Simply head over to the All in One SEO » Equipment internet web page and switch to the ‘Import / Export’ tab.

Underneath the ‘Import Settings From Other Plugins’ phase, select your older SEO plugin and then check out ‘All Settings’.

Click on on ‘Import’ to continue, and All in One SEO will import all your SEO wisdom from your previous SEO plugin.

Other WordPress SEO plugins like Rank Math and Yoast SEO also have built-in SEO wisdom importers and exporters that you simply’ll use.

Step 8. Apply SEO Potency Publish Migration

Now that you simply’ve completely migrated WordPress while keeping up SEO, you need to just remember to may well be tracking very important promoting and advertising and marketing wisdom, in conjunction with analytics and Google Search Console.

If you didn’t trade your house identify, then your older Google Analytics and Google Search Console integrations will continue operating.

Keep an eye on those tales to watch your web site for any post-migration guests loss or drop in search scores.

Then again, if you migrated WordPress to a brand spanking new house identify, it is important to reconfigure Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

Reconfigure Google Analytics

Those using MonsterInsights can go to the Insights » Settings internet web page and scroll appropriate right down to the Google Authentication phase.

Click on at the downward arrow to increase the Website online Profile phase, and then click on at the ‘Reconnect MonsterInsights’ button.

MonsterInsights will then reauthenticate your web site to Google Analytics and robotically add a brand spanking new wisdom drift configured in conjunction with your new house identify.

Shoppers who’ve manually put in Google Analytics in WordPress will want to add their new House Identify as a Wisdom Go with the flow in Google Analytics.

Login on your Google Analytics account and click on at the equipment icon at the bottom left corner to modify to the admin view.

Next, go to the Wisdom collection and changes » Wisdom streams and then click on on on the ‘Add drift’ button.

Make a selection Web as your drift type, and then add your new house and web site establish.

Click on at the ‘Create drift’ button to save some your settings.

Google Analytics will now get began tracking wisdom from your new house identify.

Reconfigure Google Search Console

Next, you need to reconfigure Google Search Console and inform Google regarding the trade of take care of.

First, add your new house identify as a brand spanking new property in Google Search Console. Simply follow the instructions in our knowledge on find out how to upload your web page to Google Seek Console.

Important: Make sure you use the identical Google account you used on your earlier house identify.

After together with your new house to Google Search Console, switch on your earlier house identify profile in Google Search Console.

On the next computer screen, you’ll be asked to organize 301 redirects from your earlier house on your new internet web page take care of. It is advisable have already accomplished that earlier, so that you’ll switch without delay to the next step. If you ignored that step, we propose going again and doing it now.

Underneath that, select your new house identify from the drop-down menu and click on on on the ‘Validate & Substitute’ button.

That’s all. It is advisable have now a professional Google regarding the trade of take care of.

This may take a little time, on the other hand incessantly, your new house gets began appearing in search results as an alternative of your earlier house identify. During this time, you gained’t lose any guests on account of the 301 redirects you put up.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress SEO Migration

Following are probably the most often requested questions about SEO migration for WordPress web websites.

1. How do you do an SEO migration?

First, once more up your web site and observe potency with Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Then, switch your web site wisdom, in conjunction with SEO wisdom.

Should you’re migrating to a brand spanking new area title, just remember to position up 301 redirects. Finally, use the Business of Deal with software in Google Search Console to tell Google regarding the new URL.

2. How can I migrate my web site without losing SEO?

Thru putting in place proper redirects and using the Google search console, you’ll migrate your web site merely without losing SEO.

3. Will house migration increase SEO guests?

Depending on the house you use for migration, it’s going to explanation why an increase in SEO guests. For example, if your new house is further similar on your web site topics otherwise you may well be using a country house to reach a further centered audience.

We hope this WordPress SEO migration checklist is really helpful in migrating your web websites. You might also want to check out our complete WordPress search engine marketing information for a further detailed SEO walkthrough and our professional alternatives of the perfect area title registrars if you are looking to modify to a brand spanking new house identify.

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The submit The Final WordPress search engine marketing Migration Tick list (For Rookies) first appeared on WPBeginner.

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